Living amenities are minimal. Often only the foreman has a proper bed. Once aboard, the boys are cut off from families and friends. The minimum stay is three months. And the wage is meager for all that backbreaking work.
Owners usually deduct the cost of food, often without explanation.
And since the money is handed over only when a boy is leaving, complaining is useless. The pay and conditions fall well below minimum levels required by law and may be illegal for children. Nonetheless the kids come, driven by necessity, often unaware of what they are getting into and sometimes tricked or virtually kidnapped by unscrupulous agents. The poor pay and hard work are just the beginning. Jermal kids tend to be chronically tired from the long hours and irregular rest, increasing the probability of accidents and injuries.