Sdlp Youth Slams Minimum Wage Discrimination

national | miscellaneous | press release Monday October 01, 2007 16:58 by SDLPyouth

SDLP Youth has welcomed today’s rise in the minimum wage, but has criticised the British government for the stratified system involved in its implementation.

SDLP Youth Chairman Gary McKeown said: “The minimum wage is necessary to ensure that the lowest paid workers are protected from exploitation, and today’s rise is to be welcomed. However, we cannot escape the fact that the minimum wage laws designed to protect the most vulnerable workers are also some of the most discriminatory.

“The law states that people under the age of 22 can be paid less for doing the exact same job as someone over that age. For example, in a shop that pays its staff the minimum wage, a 17 year-old will get paid over £2 less per hour than someone over 22 for doing the same work.

“This is the worst form of discrimination- society wouldn’t accept a law if it allowed people to be paid less because of their gender or race, so the same indignation must be displayed at discrimination based on age.

“The British government claims to be committed to equality, and indeed introduced legislation to prevent discrimination on the basis of age, yet its own minimum wage laws produce some of the most discriminatory practices possible.

Mr McKeown concluded: “SDLP Youth is calling for a universal minimum wage for workers, regardless of their age.

“As far as we are concerned, equal work must mean equal pay.”

ENDS

New Minimum Wages:

16- 17 Year Olds- £3.40

18-21 Year Olds- £4.60

Over 22s- £5.52