Educating New World, Four Square and Pak n’ save

 

Where do you do your shopping these days…

your selection could decide the wages paid to those who serve you? You could decide if they can earn a minimum wage, or a wage based on a below the minimum allowed under the present law simply because they are under 18 years of age.

Some of these young people might be your children or grandchildren or the children of friends but one thing is sure they are the children of someone just like you. And they need your help  

Under the newly introduced wage cuts introduced by the government, these youth are having the possible earnings cut. These are not news paper delivery boys and girls, who have already had their pocket money taxed, but are young people often just starting their working lives, they deserve at least the minimum wage.

Government Ministers and particularly Paula Bennett, Steven Joyce and PM John Key pushed the line that by lowering wages they would create more jobs’ that is simply public relations grap…

The Warehouse, Farmers, Kmart, Bunning’s and major supermarket operator Countdown had already committed to rejecting the new youth rates.

In fact other employers also support the view that; paying such low wages is simply incorrect…these companies were confronted with industrial action back in 2007 when youth rates were repealed. National has now reintroduced them under a different name after rejecting an attempt by John Banks to reintroduce them via a private members bill. No doubt he in his usual style ‘blackmailed’ the Nat’s by threats of withdrawing support and the last thing we need is for our youth to be lectured by John Banks…can you imagine thousands of youth losing their memories all at once!

The Unite Union ran a successful industrial campaign and the following outfits who employ thousands of young people agreed to pay the minimum wage; McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks and Pizza Hut. So it would seem that they learned to do the right thing and further McDonald's and Restaurant Brands have joined a screen of retail giants who have decided against paying 16 to 19-year-olds the new youth wage. It would seem that they learned their lesson:

But some outfits are greedier than others and they have said they are interested in using youth rates in their New World, Four Square, and Pak n'Save supermarkets.

Here is an action plan for you and your friends to help our youth.

So if you would like to help our young people to earn the minimum wage you might like to assist in educating New World, Four Square and Pak n’ save by doing the following:

• Firstly you can stop shopping at those outlets…or you can do something stronger…

• Or you can ask to speak to the manager and ask if they are paying youth rates. If the answer is yes, leave your purchases there and walk out…or

• You could also ask them to put signs up saying if they pay youth rates or not, because it would help you decide to shop there or not!

If we don’t help our young people who the hell will…The Unite union were successful because they unionised the staff and showed the way, lets hope the union covering New World, Four Square and Pak n’ Save can do the same…