The employment structure of small - scalled business enterprises and the problems of labor children in the city of Rize

03. Summary The problem of "child labour" is an important one in our cuntry, as in most developing countries. Turkey is experiencing the transition process from rural to urban and from agricultural economy to industrial economy. This process puts the problem of child labour on the agenda more apparently. A lot of ehilden without having their basic education and legal supervision start working in fields, streets and in some small-scale enterprises as well as in some marginal sectors to contrubute to their families' budget. These chidren are unable to grow physically and psychologically and deprive of any opportunity to improve themselves and thus endanger their future. This study investigates the structure of employment of small-scale industry enterprises in the city of Rize, the children employed in these enterprises and their problems. According to the findings of this study, the situation related to the number of "working children" and the substucture of "child labour" in Turkey is similar to that of most developing countries. In most enterprises within the scope of this case-study, a lot of 12-19 age group children (40,05 % of full employment in these enterprises), lack of any kind of social and professional security and without getting basic education and professinal training, are employed in heavy working conditions. In addition, it is found that these children, who come from economically and educationally lower-class families, prefer to study in such enterprises because have they no expectation of future trough education and they also want to have a job urgently to contribute to their families' budget and they accept that apprenticeship is the easy way to enter working life and building their own business in the future. vm