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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 4 Hansard (11 April) . . Page.. 1038 ..

MS GALLAGHER (continuing):

for women would lead to widespread job losses, that companies would fold and that women were doing their cause a disservice by raising the issue.

Women not only raised the issue as one of wage justice but also recognised that independent futures and wellbeing depended on them being able to support themselves through their own labour. Thirty years on we can see that women have not lost jobs. They have in fact increased their participation in the labour market and continue to make a strong contribution to the work force.

The situation relating to youth employment conditions has this same timeless dimension to it, but it also has an immediate and direct political relevance for anyone and everyone concerned with youth. What better time to revisit this issue than National Youth Week?

There have been many inspiring stories to come out of this week's activities, and we have collectively, as a community, celebrated individual achievements and community work. But we must also address the generalised issues of youth in the community. This is why I am raising this issue today.

I am also raising this issue because there is continuing political pressure either to lower the rate of the youth wage or to increase its scope to cover older workers. Barely a year goes by when the federal government or employers do not argue these points. We only have to go back to 1999, to the Howard government's attempts to cut youth wages and extend junior wage rates to employees under 25 years of age. The government also ensured the retention of junior wages in employment awards by exempting them from anti-discrimination laws.

In 1997 there were 400,000 young workers employed on adult or training rates and 420,000 young people on youth rates. The last two decades have seen deep wage cuts to youth employees, with an impact on living standards. Studies conducted by the ANU have shown that for 20 to 24-year-olds, the decline has been around $147 a week. This downward trend in wages has been exacerbated by the push to part-time and casual employment in the public sector, retail, hospitality, manufacturing and tourism.

Mr Speaker, in National Youth Week this Assembly should be vocal in supporting the principle of a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. Cheap labour from exploited teenagers is an unacceptable situation. Already in Australia we have industries which claim dependence on the retention of youth wages, when the evidence at hand suggests that equal wages for young people would not necessarily affect employment levels. Retail and fast food giants have led the way in threatening to eliminate jobs if junior rates are replaced by training and competency rates.

I refer to the media release of YWCA of Canberra of earlier this week. They have announced that they have abolished youth wages for all staff, which is particularly important for their staff in children's services. In their media release, they say the needs and cost of living for young people are no different from those for adults. Youth wages do not take into account the real cost of living. Do we really expect young people to be able to support themselves on as little as $5 per hour, and in some cases even $3 per hour? Youth wages cause hardship and poverty amongst young workers and place pressure on low-income families. They reinforce negative stereotypes and deny people equal pay for equal work.

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