After 3 weeks of hearings and submissions, our groundbreaking case to abolish junior pay rates at 18 years old is now being considered by the Fair Work Commission.
The Fair Work Commission has announced it has made its decision on our Adult Age = Adult Wage case and will announce it soon.
Throughout this case, the SDA has been standing up for young workers and pushing for fair pay and fighting to remove unfair junior rates.
If we’re successful, 18-20 year olds would move to the full adult rate, meaning a significant boost in pay for thousands of retail, fast food and pharmacy workers.
Junior rates of pay are jeopardizing young Australians’ financial security – and it’s time to change this outdated system.
“They can drink, they can drive, they can vote — we as a community treat them as adults on every level, except when they walk in the door to work.”
“They walk in there and they’re expected to operate on discount wages. An 18-year-old only gets paid 70 per cent of what a 21-year-old gets, and we say that’s not fair and it should change.”
– SDA Secretary Gerard Dwyer
Find out more about campaign to abolish junior rates