PROTECTION OF THE LABOUR RIGHTS OF MINOR WORKERS: EUROPEAN STANDARDS AND PROSPECTS FOR IMPROVING THE LEGISLATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

This article examines European standards for the protection of the labour rights of minor workers and the possibilities for their application in the process of improving the labour legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The study analyses the provisions of Council Directive 94/33/EC on the Protection of Young People at Work, which regulate the minimum age for employment, working-time restrictions, the prohibition of hazardous and harmful work for minors, and other occupational safety guarantees. A comparative legal analysis of the legislation of the European Union and the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of regulating the labour of persons under eighteen years of age is conducted. Based on the findings, proposals are substantiated for improving national legislation aimed at expanding employment guarantees for minors, enhancing the regulation of working and rest time, and strengthening the criminal-law protection of their labour rights. The study concludes that certain European approaches should be adapted with due regard to the specific features of the legal system of the Republic of Uzbekistan.