Background information and research on youth rates

Submissions to the  Minimum Wage [Abolition of Age Discrimination] Amendment Bill - the bill ending youth rates- closed in April 2006.  The bill is currently being considered by the Transport and Industrial Relations select committee.  This section of the website has been retained with background information and policy resources for groups campaigning this year to end age discrimination against young workers

Making a short submission on Sue Bradfords youth rates bill

The CTU prepared a short guide for groups who were making a a submission - download it here. (Note: submissions closed April 2006).

Information if you are making a more detailed submission

The CTU complied the following resources for groups wanting to make a more detailed submission on the Minimum Wage (Abolition of Age Discrimination) Amendment Bill.

Research, policy, submission guides

- You can get a copy of the bill from the Knowledge-Basket site here, or you can download a PDF or Word Document version from Sue Bradfords page here

- Caritas 2003 survey of 5000 young people at Catholic schools on their experience of work.
Download it here

- Dunedin College of Education 2003 report Young People and Work.
Download it here

- The CTU and PPTAs research paper in 1999 on the effect of paid work on secondary school students.
Download it here

- Treasury research on the effects of the minimum wage increases on young workers (which found no adverse effects on youth employment from previous youth minimum wage rises)
Click here to download the report from Treasurys website

- Page 22 to 26 of the CTUs submission last year on the review of the minimum wage has policy detail on youth rates.
Download the submission here

- The report to the Minister of Labour on the 2005 review of the minimum wage was released late last year. Appendix E outlines the numbers of workers affected by minimum wage increases and the scrapping of youth rates.  Click here to download "Minimum Wage Review 2005: officials report" from the Department of Labours website

- Sue Bradford is the sponsor of the bill and her submission guide is here

Media, opinion peices

- Ross Wilson Dominion Post column, 31.1.06

- Dominion Post editorial Feb 3 2006, in favour of scrapping youth rates .  (link now inactive: email samh@nzctu.org.nz for a faxed, posted copy)

- Minimum wage rise backed - story in Dominion Post, 27.2.06, on a Sherwin Chan Walshe survey of Wellington businesses regarding minimum wage rises and youth rates. NB: this link to the stuff website doesnt have the table of results that appeared in the hardcopy of the DomPost - email samh@nzctu.org.nz, and we can fax you a copy.

- There is more information about the Youth Rates campaign, including media releases, opinion articles and information about Sue Bradfords bill here