Labour Inspectorate not to fine Ekspress Meedia in paper boys controversy
The Labour Inspectorate has concluded its investigation of Ekspress Meedia for the publisher’s hiring underage boys and girls to sell weekly Eesti Ekspress during the summer holidays.
Complaints had prompted the inspectorate to investigate the company for its treatment of the paper boys and girls.
The Labour Inspectorate stated on Thursday that children who had sold papers for Ekspress Meedia at Tallinn’s Järve shopping mall in summer 2016 had been treated as workers in the sense of the Employment Contracts Act. The work given to the seven to 12-year-old children did not correspond to the light work allowed in the areas of culture, art, sports, or advertising as specified by the law.
At the same time, the inspectorate found that the publisher had expressed the sincere wish to improve the conditions under which the children sold the papers, which was why a high penalty was not appropriate in the case.
Ekspress Meedia had also expressed the wish to find ways to offer summer jobs to kids without going against the law, the inspectorate added.
Considering the publisher’s efforts, a high fine would not contribute further to the improvement of the situation.
The Labour Inspectorate is the Estonian state’s authority that supervises and guarantees working conditions and working relationships that correspond with applicable law.
Editor: Dario Cavegn