Minimum Age (Non-Industrial Employment) Convention (Revised), 1937 (shelved)

C138, Minimum Age Convention, 1973

Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
Member states of the Convention.   16   15   14
Drafted	26 June 1973
Effective	19 June 1976
Condition	2 ratifications
Ratifiers	168
Depositary	Director-General of the International Labour Office
Languages	French and English

The Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, is an Convention adopted in 1973 by the International Labour Organization. It requires ratifying states to pursue a national policy designed to ensure the effective abolition of child labour and to raise progressively the minimum age for admission to employment or work. The convention (number C138 of ILO) replaces several similar ILO conventions in specific fields of labour.

Countries are free to specify a minimum age for labour, with a minimum of 15 years. A declaration of 14 years is also possible when for a specified period of time. Laws may also permit light work for children aged 13–15 (not harming their health or school work). The minimum age of 18 years is specified for work which "is likely to jeopardise the health, safety or morals of young persons". Definitions of the type of work and derogations are only possible after tripartite consultations (if such a system exists in the ratifying country).

The convention is a revision of several conventions for workers in specific areas. Upon entry into force, some of these conventions were closed for ratification and becoming a party to this convention automatically resulted in denunciation of the older ones. An overview of older minimum age conventions of ILO is shown below:

Minimum ages defined by states

Entry into force of the treaty occurred one year after deposition of two first ratifications (Cuba and Libya). As of June 2017, 170 countries have ratified the treaty. The treaty enters for a ratifying country into force one year after ratification. The treaty can be denounced every 10 years in the year after 10 years have passed (e.g. 19 June 2016 – 19 June 2017).