Australia's Fair Work Commission abolishes junior pay rates for young adults.

It was so the largest employers of the 15-20 years old demographic such as Coles, Woolies, and the fast food and retail industry could continue to exploit the labour force. I worked at Coles back in 1996 to 2001 and I was paid $5.45 per hour in 1996 with very small incremental increases after 1998. Mother fuckers made a killing off my labour, I wasn't paid a proper salary until 2004 when I completed my apprenticeship with BMW. From 15 until 23 years of age, I was paid peanuts while I paid my "dues". And I've now moved into a different industry helping young adults into apprenticeships and traineeships and I see this as a great step forward in helping the next generation. I've seen so many young adults give up due to the expense and costs they incur. Disadvantaged young adults are currently struggling in this economy and I can't imagine the generational experience they are going through. Sometimes I feel like I can't do anything to help these kids to thrive due to just about everything in our current situation. Apologies, went off on a tangent.

>Never made any sense to me tbh. child slave labor. same as its always been.

As an American, it’s weird being on the other side of a horrible capitalist “you really live like that?” scenario and seeing other people defend their dystopian abusers like so many of us do

I don't think it's an issue, if they are good employees and they've been with you since they were 15-16 years old, they've shown that they deserve to be paid better as they commence tertiary education or studies. I can see some employers pushing back, but we do have support and programs to support small businesses to keep these employees. Edit: I believe, I have failed to communicate properly. I do think some employers will use it as a barrier for young people to get into their first jobs. However, young adults also deserve to be paid proper wages. In the long term, I see it as a net positive for the those aged 18-20.

It won’t. The story that it helps people get their first job has been thoroughly proved wrong by employers, who show very little preference for the cheaper rates over experience and responsibility (usually hiring less the lower the age and pay is, rather than the opposite). It also has never helped people with 3 years of experience in the same job “getting their first job”, despite still being paid less. I’d say this is the next step - ensure junior rates never last more than a year or two into the job.