Rally highlights plight of low paid

About 300 people attended a rally at the Auckland Town Hall theatre yesterday to support calls to abolish youth rates, raise the minimum wage and secure stable work conditions for youth and casual employees.

"Workers of the World Unite" banners in three languages adorned the doorways, union banners hung from the balconies and volunteers distributed pamphlets at the rally, organised by Unite, a union representing low-paid and youth employees.

Unite seeks the abolition of youth rates and fixed hours for casual employees and has been running a "Supersize my Pay" campaign to meet its demands.

Unite Auckland president Matt McCarten told the crowd low-paid workers would become "serfs in our own country" if employers did not start paying acceptable wages, rather than diverting all profits back to shareholders.

"We have no choice but to fight for justice in our own industry."

About 400,000 workers were paid less than $12 an hour, and full-time weekly rates had dropped by a quarter since 1984, he said.

"The fight is not just about fast-food workers ... it is about all low-paid workers.

"There comes a time in our life when we have to make a stand for justice ... today is one of those moments."

Many fast-food workers - some of whom appeared at the rally in their work uniforms - had been instructed or "forbidden" to attend the rally, Mr McCarten said.

Briar Weaver, 20, said she had worked for KFC for six years and earned $9.50 an hour.

"The only reason I have got pay rises is because I got older. My hours are never the same from week to week."

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples criticised Prime Minister Helen Clark for describing as "a bit of a rough patch" a recent spate of redundancies across the country.

"You try telling that to Maori workers who earn less than $160 per week."

Green Party MP Sue Bradford also attended the rally. Her private member's bill scrapping the minimum youth rate for 16- and 17-year-olds is expected to be introduced to Parliament this month.