Summary / Citation: "Subject to the other provisions of this Part, no person shall employ during the night, in a public or private industrial undertaking:
(a) a woman; or
(b) a person under the age of eighteen years."
(Art. 161.1)
Exceptions:
(1) "Section 161, with respect to the employment of women during the night, shall not apply:
a. to women holding responsible positions of a managerial or technical character;
b. to women employed in health and welfare services who are not ordinarily engaged in manual work;
c. to an industrial undertaking in which only members of the same family are employed;
d. in any case of force majeure when in an industrial undertaking there occurs an interruption of work which it was impossible to foresee, and which is not of a recurring character, and which is approved as such by the Commissioner; and
e. in a case where the work has to do with raw materials or materials in the course of treatment which are subject to rapid deterioration and work during the night is necessary to preserve such materials from loss and the permission of the Commissioner to perform such work during the night has been obtained."
(2) "The Minister after consultation with any workers’ or employers’ organisations concerned, may by Order authorise the employment during the night of male persons who have attained the age of sixteen years but are under the age of eighteen years for purposes of apprenticeship or vocational training in such class of industrial undertakings as are specified in the Order."
(3) "When in a case of serious emergency the public interest demands it, the Minister, after consultation with any employers’ and workers’ organisation concerned, may by Order suspend the prohibition of employment of male persons between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years during the night in any industrial undertaking or any branch thereof."
(4) "Where in an industrial undertaking there occurs an emergency which could not have been controlled or foreseen, and which is not of a periodical character and which is approved by the Commissioner and which interferes with the normal working of that undertaking, then, during that emergency, the provisions of section 161 with respect to the employment of persons under the age of eighteen years during the night shall not apply to male persons between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years employed in that undertaking during such emergency."
(5) "Notwithstanding section 161, the Minister, if he considers “it expedient to do so, may by order, permit women and male persons between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years to be employed in any industrial undertaking or in any branch thereof during that part of the night which falls between 7.00 p.m. and 11.00 p.m. on condition that the night-rest period of such women and male persons is of not less than twelve consecutive hours duration."
(6) "Where the Minister considers that the employment of persons under eighteen years of age in a family undertaking wherein only parents and their children are employed is not harmful, prejudicial or dangerous to them, he may by Order exempt them from the application of this section relating to
the employment of persons under the age of eighteen years, subject to such conditions as he may think fit."
(Art. 162)
Employment at sea:
(1) "Subject to subsections (2) and (3), no master of a vessel which is registered in Belize as a British ship or which is owned by any person or body of persons resident or carrying on business in Belize shall employ on such vessel, and no master of any other vessel shall engage for employment on that vessel, either:
(a) a person under the age of fifteen years; or
(b) any other young person unless the master has in his possession and available for inspection by a labour officer, a valid certificate of a registered medical practitioner issued not more than one year previously and certifying that he has examined the young person and found him fit for the employment proposed:
Provided that any certificate which expires in the course of a voyage shall remain valid until the end of the said voyage. (...)"
(Art. 165)
"Subject to any regulations made under section 170 no child shall be employed:
a) so long as he is under the age of twelve years; or
b) before the close of school hours on any day on which he is required to attend school; or
c) before six o’clock in the morning or after eight o’clock in the evening on any day; or
d) for more than two hours on any day on which he is required to attend school; or
e) for more than two hours on any Sunday; or
f) to lift, carry or move anything so heavy as to be likely to cause injury to him; or
g) in any occupation likely to be injurious to his life, limb, health or education, regard being had to his physical condition."
(Art. 169)
(1) "The Minister may make regulations with respect to the employment of children, and any such regulations may distinguish between children of different
ages and sexes and between different localities, trades, occupations and circumstances, and may contain provisions:
(a) authorising the employment of children under the age of twelve years, notwithstanding anything in section 169 (a), by their parents or guardians in light agricultural or horticultural work in their parents’ or guardians’ lands or gardens only;
(b) prohibiting absolutely the employment of children in any specified occupation;
(c) prescribing in relation to children:
- the age below which they are not to be employed;
- the number of hours in each day, or in each week, for which, and the times of day at which, they may be employed;
- the intervals to be allowed to them for meals and rest;
- the holidays or half-holidays to be allowed to them;
- any other conditions to be observed in relation to their employment."
(2) "No such regulations shall modify the restrictions contained in section 169 except in so far as is expressly permitted by paragraph (a), and any restriction contained in any such regulations shall have effect in addition to the said restrictions."
(3) "All regulations made under this section shall be subject to negative resolution."
(Art. 170)
• Labour Act (Cap. 297). (Arts. 161.1, 162, 165, 169 and 170)
Related CEACR Comments
• Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) Direct Request 2021
