Young Labour says youth deserve equal pay for equal work

Young Labour is outraged by the government's failure to protect the principle of equal pay for equal work.

The organisation's President Ella Hardy says John Key's refusal to rule out a return to a separate, lower, minimum wage for young workers is discriminatory.

“Paying someone less for doing the same work just because of their age is discrimination, it's as simple as that,” Ms Hardy says.

She is concerned about the government's use of dismal youth unemployment statistics to try and justify the policy.

“Unemployment levels are also disproportionately high for women and Maori. Is National going to suggest that these groups don't have the a right to a fair day's pay for a fair day's work either?”

Young Labour's Union Affiliate Representative Chelsea Torrance rejects the argument that lower unfair wages will solve youth unemployment.

“Under Labour the Youth Minimum wage was continually raised and then abolished. All this time youth unemployment dropped,” she says.

“If National really want to address youth unemployment they need to show us they have a plan to create jobs.”

ENDS

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