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Young workers earn 70 per cent of an adult wage but a union is demanding the federal government change this given the cost of living pressures.

Under the “adult age, adult wage” campaign, the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) is lobbying for workers aged 18 to 21 in retail, fast food and pharmacy jobs to be paid more.

The minimum wage for an adult is currently $24.10 an hour, while an 18-year-old earns 70 per cent of that at $16.46 an hour.

A 19-year-old can earn $19.88 an hour and a 20-year-old can earn $23.54.

But this is just minimum wage for younger workers, with some companies opting to pay employees more or even the adult rate.

The federal government made its formal submission to the Fair Work Commission during its annual review of minimum and award wages earlier this month.

The government said the country’s lowest-paid workers should receive an “economically sustainable real wage increase” but did not nominate a specific figure.

The SDA has written to the government calling on it to include changes to the youth minimum wage in its application to the Fair Work Commission.

“18-year-olds can vote, drive and put their lives on the line for their country,” said Gerard Dwyer, National SDA Secretary.

“Eighteen-year-olds are adults. They struggle with the same cost-of-living pressures as every other adult.

“They should be paid the same as other adults.”

Retail, fast food and pharmacy companies employ more than 1.5 million people with a high number of those being under 21.

“Eighteen-year-olds should not be treated as second-class citizens,” Mr Dwyer said.

Their work is as valuable as anyone else’s and they should be paid accordingly.”

The Fair Work Commission is due to hand down its annual wage review decision in June.

Savannah Meacham
(Australian Associated Press)