Lecturers support new minimum wage legislation

Lloyd Woods, the National President of the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education ASTE Te Hau Takitini o Aotearoa today gave full support to Sue Bradford’s minimum wage Bill and especially to the abolition of youth rates.

“As tutors and lecturers in tertiary education we are only too aware of the effects of the pathetic wages paid to young people at $7.60 per hour. Many young students struggle to pay for the costs of their education without allowances and through part-time work. The minimum wage does not provide enough to live on let alone to study on. Youth rates make it impossible for the students affected to perform to their best. Hunger and conditions of poverty are not conducive to good learning!” he said.

He went on to say “We support Sue Bradford’s Bill and we exhort Labour members of Parliament to look into their souls and consider the situation of underpaid youth and indeed all workers stuck on the current miserly minimum wage. Having done so we expect Labour MPs to vote in favour of supporting the Bill moving into the select committee process”.

ENDS

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