US fines McDonald's for having more than 300 minors working illegally, including two ten-year-olds

MADRID, 4 May. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The United States Department of Labor has fined three franchises of the McDonald's fast food chain after certifying that they had 305 minors working illegally, including two ten-year-old children.

The fine, which amounts to $212,544 (191,829 euros), has been imposed on three franchises that operated 62 stores in the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio.

Specifically, the two ten-year-old boys work until the wee hours of the morning without receiving any type of financial compensation and operating dangerous machinery, such as fryers, something that US labor law prohibits for children under 16 years of age.

The rest of the minors, many of them between the ages of 14 and 15, worked more hours than those allowed for their age, a maximum of three when it is a school day, and their hours began before and ended after what was allowed for minors. . Some even worked during their school hours.

The district director of the Division of Wages and Hours in Louisville in Kentucky, Karen Garnett Civils, has lamented that "too often, employers violate child labor laws that protect young workers."

"Under no circumstances should there be a ten-year-old child working in a fast-food kitchen around hot grills, ovens and fryers. We are witnessing an increase in violations of federal child labor legislation," he denounced.

For his part, one of the supervisors of one of the chains has stated that the two ten-year-old boys had attended the premises to visit their father, a night supervisor, as stated in a statement.

He also wanted to clarify that "any type of 'work' was done under the supervision and with the presence of his father", adding that they did not have any authorization from superiors.