100 signatures reached
To: Minister for Workplace Relations Hon. Michael Wood
Ensure young people get paid fairly: Make minimum wage the same for ALL
The goal of this petition is to ensure young people under the age of 16 who are working are paid the minimum wage.
Why is this important?
No matter how old we are, we deserve to be paid fairly for our work. But right now the law in Aotearoa allows young people under 16 to be exploited.
Ensuring youth are paid fairly is important due to the rapidly changing economic situations we face as a nation. Living costs are soaring, with food alone increasing 8.3% in the last year.(1) Young people are now beginning to work from a younger age to support themselves or their whanau.
Under 16-year-olds are doing the same work as people 16 years and over yet do not legally have to be paid the minimum wage.
Employers can currently pay under 16’s as little as they please, meaning youth can be exploited, overworked, and underpaid as there is no law to protect these rights or remove age-based discrimination.(2)
References:
1. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2022/09/cost-of-living-grocery-bills-keep-going-up-as-food-prices-grow-by-8-3-percent-statistics-nz-says.html
2. https://www.business.govt.nz/hiring-and-managing/hiring-people/minimum-pay-rules/