Congressman Kimble Tours Factories Where Child Labor is Working

For a lot of Congressman, Easter Recess is a time to be with their families and maybe get in a round of golf or two, but Congressman Kimble hit the ground running this past weekend with a whirlwind tour of places throughout the world where businesses freed from bureaucratic red tape are making children an important part of the work force.

Kimble's tour began at the Zastava factory in Kragujevac, Serbia where children play an important part in building the next generation of automobiles. Zastava President Nikola Petrovic explained that during the fighting that followed the collapse of Yugoslavia, the company began using orphans out of necessity, but found they were such hard workers and quite skilled. As things improved, the company continued to employ younger workers who seemed to enjoy many of the perks of their job including the ability to work with power tools.

With barely a moment to rest, Kimble was off to Nepal and Vietnam where he visited factories for making rugs and clothing. The Congressman was extremely impressed with the quality of the craftsmanship and of the nimble fingers of the tiny titans of industry. Congressman Kimble related, "The children did not seem exploited, often working days far longer than an adult would work because they got so wrapped up in what they were doing, they simply lost track of the time."

Congressman Kimble is sponsoring H.R. 929 to promote give full employment rights to all Americans regardless of age. He concluded that his successful tour has made him more determined than ever to fight for the rights of children to work.

[From the Oakdale Value Shopper, April 18, 2011]