Thumbs up to McD’s upsized serving of pay for youth

The Green Party is welcoming McDonalds move to upsize its wages for youth to adult rates from tomorrow.

“We welcome arrival of a new era of fairer pay for young workers. It is fantastic to see a major employer of young people such as McDonalds leading the way,” Greens Industrial Relations Spokesperson Sue Bradford says.

“My Bill, ending youth rates for 16 and 17 year-old workers, which passed through the House last year, takes effect from 1 April. It will make a huge difference for many young people and their families.

“While it unfortunately still allows for the first 200 hours of employment to be paid at youth rates, it will mean that once this is completed young people will be entitled to receive the same wage as their adult colleagues.

“McDonalds has bypassed the 200 hour ‘new entrants’ category altogether, giving their young workers full adult wages from the start. I call on other employers to follow suit,” Ms Bradford says.