Make Low Wages History

Through campaigns such as SuperSizeMyPay, unions, students, young workers and their families are campaigning to end youth rates and increase the minimum wage, alongside union campaigns to end low pay in general, win decent pay increases for all workers and achieve a high wage economy.

Make Low Wages History: Campaigning To End Youth Rates

UPDATE, August 2007: Youth Rates Vote Significant Recognition of Young Workers - August 16 2007  

UPDATE, September 2007: Union organising makes the difference at McDonalds - September 11 2007.  

There is currently a gap between the minimum wage that can be paid to workers aged 18 and over and workers aged 16 and 17. The minimum wage for people who are 18 and over is $11.25 an hour, but for 16 and 17 year olds it is only 80% of that - $9.00, or $2.25 less.

Employers expect exactly the same level of work from 17 year olds as 18 year olds. 17 year olds don’t get to scan the shopping 20% slower, or make burgers 20% slower. But employers can pay them less. For those under 16 there is no minimum wage protection at all, employers can pay whatever they want.

Green MP Sue Bradford's Bill before Parliament would scrap youth rates for 16 and 17 year olds, and young workers, unions and students have been campaigning in support of the bill in 2006 and 2007.

Youth Union Movement held a stall at the Big Day Out in 2007, and collected signatures on postcards and petitions. Download the petition sheet here, and collect signatures in your classrooms, worksites and community groups.

As MPs consider the Bill, now is an important time to make contact with your MP to make sure they support the moves to end discrimination against young workers. Click here for a list of MPs and how you can make contact with them. To find out what electorate area you are in, click here to see a map of New Zealand's electorates.

Union Campaigns Already Working
Some big companies already agreed to scrap youth rates in 2006 through union campaigns - click here for more.

News & Media
Click here to read media releases and news updates about the youth rates campaign.

Make Low Wages History: $12 Minimum Wage Now

UPDATE, December 2007: 70% minimum wage increase building momentum on making low wages history - December 19 2007.  The adult minimum wage will rise to $12 from April 1 2008 

UPDATE, October 2007: The CTU's political strategy was launched at biennial conference in October 2007.  It included a call for a $15 minimum wage, alongside other measures to lift wages, enhance work rights and build stronger public services.  Click here for more. 

Workers in industries such as cleaning, aged care, fast food and retail are often on or close to minimum wage levels and so unions are also campaigning for a $12 minimum wage, which will make a real difference to their pay.

Unions are calling on government for a $12 minimum wage now - not in 2008.

We also want employers to agree to a $12 minimum wage now. Union campaigns such as SuperSizeMyPay, Healthy Pay for Healthy Hospitals, Fair Share for Aged Care, Clean Start and Shelf Respect are showing workers that to get a fair deal at work they need to bargain collectively in unions.

New: International Cleaners Day 2007 - click here to watch a short video from the Wellington rally, or here for previous videos.

Make Low Wages History - Labour Day 2006
Click here to read a new report on low wages from the CTU as part of the Make Low Wages History campaign, released to mark Labour Day 2006.

More Information

General
- Download the CTU's report on low wages released for Labour Day 2006 here
- Download the Media Backgrounder for the launch of the low wages campaign on March 27 2006 here
- Download a CTU fact sheet on the youth rates bill, updated May 2007 here (PDF file, 24 kb).
- Click here to read the CTU's submission on the youth rates bill, and click here to read Youth Union Movement's submission.
- Click here to download the CTUs submission at the end of 2006 on the review of the minimum wage

More information on youth rates submissions
Submissions on the youth rates bill closed on April 21 2006, and the bill is before Parilament's Transport & Industrial Relations select committee, who are due to report back on the bill by 30 June 2007. Click here to view the section of the website from 2006 with background information and policy resources - it has been retained for groups campaigning to end age discrimination against young workers.