October 10, 2012
Peters slams youth wage return
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the Government's new starting wage scheme will do nothing to address youth unemployment.
Maori unionists have slammed the plan to allow employers to pay 16 to 19 years olds $10.80 an hour or 80 percent of the current minimum wage.
Mr Peters says there is no evidence to show it will work in getting employers to take on young people.
"The minimum wage is already too low. That's why we're asking for $15, $16 an hour, so in effect this is an attempt to create a new minimum wage. It's an incentive to go to Australia, an incentive to keep employers to keep employing cheap labour. Why should someone on the same work be paid less than someone else," he says.
Mr Peters says the country's problems won't be solved by making people work a 40 your week for a wage they can't live on.