YOUTH WAGE CUTS…WILL HURT ALL OF US:
They introduced the first step in this outstanding development at budget time, by taxing paper boys and girls now they have taken the next step in their master plan lowering the wages for teenagers. There is one common linking point in this master plan…most of these selected people don’t or can’t vote.
Ms Wilkinson said the new starting-out wage [$10.80 per hour] was the latest in a series of steps to help get more New Zealanders into jobs in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis.
In a press release of over 560 words she never once actually stated what the hourly rate was…I don’t think she actually knows. Or cares…She sounds like a good ACT member from way back in the nineteen eighties or even the eighteenth century, from whence she came.
John Banks and his ten member party must be rolling in their gold sleeping bags. John Banks and his weird dream of ripping off the bennie brigade must surely have now reinvigorated his memory cells. No doubt he feels he needs to have yet another cup of tea with his old buddy John [forget-me-not] Key.
According to Kate Wilkinson three groups will be eligible unless they are training or supervising others:
· 16- and 17-year-olds in their first six months of work with a new employer
· 18- and 19-year-olds entering the workforce after more than six months on benefit
· 16- to 19-year-old workers in a recognised industry training course involving at least 40 credits a year.
Would you or I want to be eligible for a pay cut! From $13.50 down to $10.80 and you know who decides if you are eligible or not…the employer…who has the most to gain, beat that for stupidity. And that strange crowd ACT on CAMPUS supports this rip-off; of course it won’t affect them because mommy or daddy will pay…Wilkinson ended her PR dribble by saying:
The starting-out wage is another initiative to help more young people into jobs,” Ms Wilkinson says.
The starting-out wage is due to come into force from 1 April 2013.
ACT as is normal put out a press release via a blog site, John Banks now releases no press releases unless he has permission from ACT on campus two members: National writes his press releases. Here is a small part of it:
Naturally the employers and Business NZ front men spoke in favour of the wage cuts, and dribbled on about helping unemployed youth…they said nothing about older workers who would be tossed out to make way for what could be called ‘Youth slave labour’…
MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau Hone Harawira released the following”
Tuesday 9th October 2012
“Today’s announcement by the government to lower the pay rate for 16-19 year olds will result in only one thing – more of our youth packing their bags for Australia in search of higher wages” says MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau Hone Harawira.
“People can’t even live on the minimum wage of $13.50 an hour. How the hell can the government expect anybody to live on just over $10 an hour? No wonder this country is experiencing new levels of poverty”.
“This policy is nothing but slave labour. I bet money-hungry businesses will lay off older staff and take on new, younger employees. Those businesses will give Key a slap on the back with a fat donation for the next election for increasing their bank balances through lower wages”.
“A society that doesn’t care for its young has no future. That will be the legacy of this government”.
Now you may disagree with Hone Harawira’s comments but as someone who is very close to those on very low incomes he understands the lot of the very low paid. Everyone must ask the question, can you live on $13.50 per hour and if your answer is only with great hardship, then the situation must become worse if you are on $10.80.
“National's plan to pay young Kiwis low wages will just see them saving up their $10 an hour for a plane ticket to Australia
"Under National's watch, 65,158 young Kiwis aged between18-30 have headed to Australia
The Labour Leader had more to say on employment in general and lifted the debate to include the bigger picture. And for once moved pass the conception stage, but still was soft on what he intends, or the party intends to do in the short term:
“Labour has real ideas that will make a difference. We will pay employers the equivalent of the dole to take on apprentices, raise the minimum wage, create a world-class education system, foster innovation through research and development tax breaks, and tackle the high dollar by changing monetary policy and encouraging investment in the productive sector through a capital gains tax”.
Darien Fenton, Labour's spokesperson on Labour issues, said the following:
“The reintroduction of youth rates just confirms that John Key's focus is on cutting wages rather than job creation.
"Paying young workers less just shows how bankrupt of ideas the Government is when it comes to tackling unemployment and creating secure, decent jobs.
"Cutting young people's pay is just the tip of the iceberg. Changes to labour laws are also going to hit Kiwi workers hard and make it harder to get fair wages.
"Kiwis are worried about job security and stagnating wages. They want smart new ideas not failed policies from the past,"
The Green Party through its Co-leader Metiria Turei expressed its view on the reduction of wages for our young people. Once again it is difficult to disagree with their balanced view. Here is what Metiria said:
“ The National Government thinks the way forward for New Zealand
The National Government today announced it would return youth rates. Youth rates will allow employers to pay less than the minimum wage to many young workers, including those starting new jobs or going to work after being on a benefit.
"National's proposal to reintroduce pay rates for young workers is simply another mechanism to deliver cheaper labour to employers and is discriminatory," said Mrs. Turei.
Rather than offering young people a bright future, through skills and training, youth rates are about undercutting all workers’ wages by ripping off young workers.
"Rather than offering young people a bright future, through skills and training, youth rates are about undercutting all workers' wages by ripping off young workers.
"The most disgraceful part of National's attack on young workers is that they are effectively increasing the age limit for what constitutes a 'youth'.
"The previous discriminatory policy of youth rates at least stopped at 18," said Mrs. Turei.
"Now, under the John Key Government, those under 20 who have been on a benefit for more than six months will find that any job they may get could pay significantly less than the minimum wage.
"This policy is an incentive for bad employers to hire and fire young workers and is likely to see real wages for young workers drop significantly," Mrs. Turei said.
So there it is…the parties I could find no comment from were the government support parties, the Maori Party and United Future. I failed to find anything from NZ First:
1 comment:
Yet why is Key and,(National) still wallinging as the preferred government It still seems Key offerz the kind of Tory leadership to support the well off to "laud it over the not so well off.?
Bill English will never reducd his prison muster, even if Bill agrees his Prisons are too expensive and N.ZPrisons do not heal communities.
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