New push to increase the wages of millions of young Aussies
A union is demanding the federal government pay adult wages to the millions of young workers in retail, fast food and pharmacy jobs to help them through the cost of living crisis.
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association's 'adult age, adult wage' campaign argues workers aged 18-21 be paid the same as adults.
The minimum wage for an adult currently sits at $24.10 an hour, while an 18-year-old earns 70 per cent of that is paid $16.46 an hour.
A 19-year-old can earn $19.88 an hour and a 20-year-old is paid $23.54.
'Eighteen-year-olds can vote, drive and put their lives on the line for their country,' Gerard Dwyer, National SDA Secretary, argued.
'Eighteen-year-olds are adults. They struggle with the same cost-of-living pressures as every other adult.
'They should be paid the same as other adults.'
While higher wages would be to the benefit of young workers, it would be a further blow to already struggling small businesses, which are shuttering at a record rate.
A union is demanding the federal government pay adult wages to young Aussies in retail, fast food and pharmacy jobs amid a cost of living crisis (pictured, a cafe worker in Sydney)
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association's 'adult age, adult wage' campaign argues workers aged 18-21 be paid the same as adults (stock)
Figures from money.com.au showed that in 2024, 17 per cent of Australian businesses that were operating at the start of the year were shut by year's end.
Pushing up labour costs would be a further blow to businesses and would largely be passed onto consumers, pushing prices up even higher.
Retail, fast food and pharmacy companies employ more than 1.5million people with a high number of those being under the age of 21.
'Eighteen-year-olds should not be treated as second-class citizens,' Mr Dwyer said.
'Their work is as valuable as anyone else's and they should be paid accordingly.'
The SDA has called on the government to include changes to the youth minimum wage in its application to the Fair Work Commission.
The government made its formal submission to the Fair Work Commission during its annual review of minimum and award wages earlier this month.
It said the country's lowest-paid workers should receive an 'economically sustainable real wage increase' but did not give a specific figure.
The commission is due to hand down its annual wage review decision in June.
