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Another supermarket was picketed this morning as unions and anti-poverty campaigners keep up the pressure over new youth rates.
Sarah Thompson from Auckland Action Against Poverty says the Manukau Pak 'n Save hasn’t offered employees any wage rise this year, and it makes use of the 90 day rule for new staff.
She says despite what the Government claims, youth rates will do nothing to create jobs for Māori and Pasifika.
“So without a programme of job creation it will do nothing to affect unemployment. Paying people $11.00 an hour doesn’t lead to more jobs. It leads to employers hiring younger people and it puts younger workers against older workers as well as it pushes the wages down which affects everybody, whether you’re in work or not,” she says.
Sarah Thompson says the Manukau Pak N Save is extremely profitable and can afford to pay its staff a living wage.
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