Sam Lim (Tangney, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I remember when each of my three children turned 18. As a father, it was a big occasion. One evening, my daughters and son were still children; the next morning, they woke up as adults. Like all adults, they had new responsibilities. They could vote, and they would be treated as adults under the law. But currently, 18-year-olds working in the retail, fast food and pharmacy industries are not required to be paid as adults.

The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association is asking the Fair Work Commission to lift wages for young workers. The campaign seeks to end junior rates of pay for workers aged 18 and above. A junior rate means that an 18-year-old working full time is earning $15,000 less than they should be. This campaign also asks for rates and pay to be lifted for workers under the age of 18. I have been fortunate to work with many young workers who are hard-working, full of ideas and enthusiasm, and sometimes by the time they are 18 they already have several years of experience. There is no reason that young workers should be paid any less. It is simple. Adult age workers deserve adult pay.

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