Editorial: Lower starting wage for teens a bad idea

It's hard to get some teenagers motivated. Earning just $10.80 an hour isn't going to do it.

The Government has announced plans to introduce a new starting wage of $10.80 an hour. If passed, it would come into effect from April 1 next year and would allow employers to pay eligible teens aged 16 to 19 the lower minimum wage.

The proposed figure is 80 per cent of the minimum wage, which is $13.50 an hour.

Sure, businesses will think this is wonderful - a smaller wage bill equals more profits, or in the caseof struggling businesses, some profits.

But I am against this move for two reasons.

We want to encourage teenagers to work and to reap the benefits of doing a good job.

If they slave away for $10.80 an hour (less tax), they could be forgiven for thinking it wasn't worth their time and effort.

They will lose motivation and passion at a crucial early stage in their life.

While I'm not against teenagers having jobs, there are fewer jobs around nowadays and a lower youth wage will only discriminate against older workers. Why would an employer pay someone $2.70 more to do the same job when they don't have to?

If there are jobs going, they should be given to mums and dads, the recently laid-off, those adults struggling to find work, or other people with more responsibilities than teenagers.

Young people should have jobs but not at the expense of older people.

What do you think?

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