25 signatures reached
To: Australian Government
End Junior Wages
Everybody deserves to be paid for the work that we do - but our current workplace laws allow young people to be paid a lower wage for the same job.
The government needs to:
The government needs to:
- Strike out junior wages from all awards;
- Remove junior apprenticeship wages; and
- Give young workers super for every dollar under the age of 18.
Why is this important?
Young Australians lose out on about $3 billion every year because of junior wage laws - and it's mostly pocketed up by multinational giants. These big corporations shouldn't be able to take advantage of these young Australians by paying them a lower rate for the same job. Junior wages are based on unfair and outdated assumptions about young people's living costs - but times have changed.
Australia's award system already provides for different pay scales according to a person's job, the tasks they perform, and their prior experience. Junior wages undermine these standards by allowing a 18 year old manager with 2 years experience to be paid less than the new-starter 21 year old she's supervising and training.
Besides being manifestly unfair, junior wages are confusing. Having your wage change sometimes more than twice a year, and being unable to compare your wages with your co-workers, makes it hard for young workers to check that their pay is correct.
The government needs to end this practice of age-discrimination, and abolish junior wages now!
Australia's award system already provides for different pay scales according to a person's job, the tasks they perform, and their prior experience. Junior wages undermine these standards by allowing a 18 year old manager with 2 years experience to be paid less than the new-starter 21 year old she's supervising and training.
Besides being manifestly unfair, junior wages are confusing. Having your wage change sometimes more than twice a year, and being unable to compare your wages with your co-workers, makes it hard for young workers to check that their pay is correct.
The government needs to end this practice of age-discrimination, and abolish junior wages now!
How it will be delivered
To end discriminatory Junior Wages and win fair wages for all ages, we need the Federal Government to change legislation. That will only happen if we show the politicians that this issue has massive community support. Ie., that there are votes to be won if they act!
Sign the petition here to become a part of the campaign. We will send you news about important actions we are taking together to win change.