Photo: Department of Labor
The Department of Labor has filed a complaint against one of the nation’s leading providers of food safety sanitation for allegedly hiring dozens of underage children to work at its plants, The Daily Beast reported.
Officials asked for an injunction against Packers Sanitation Services Inc. LTD after an investigation found that 31 kids between the ages of 13 and 17 were tasked with cleaning industrial equipment in overnight shifts at JBS USA plants in Nebraska and Minnesota and at Turkey Valley Farms in Minnesota.
The Labor Department said that several children suffered injuries while working, including a 13-year-old who suffered caustic chemical burns. In addition, the company is accused of intimidating and threatening the young workers to prevent them from cooperating with the investigation.
“The Department of Labor will use every available legal resource to protect workers – regardless of their age – and hold to account those employers who mistakenly believe they can violate the Fair Labor Standards Act, obstruct federal investigations, and retaliate against workers who assert their rights,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor Christine Heri in a press release.