FED: Youth wages will reportedly stay under deal with ALP

AAP General News (Australia)
08-25-1999
FED: Youth wages will reportedly stay under deal with ALP

A compromise deal between the federal government and Labor will reportedly allow employers
to maintain junior wage rates.

The Australian Financial Review reports the Opposition was last night set to agree to
controversial legislation proposed by Workplace Relations Minister PETER REITH, despite its
former strong opposition to the plan.

The unsourced story in the paper says the proposal will be put to parliament today and will
secure the Opposition Senate vote, used before to block the measure in the upper house.

Under the proposal, existing age-based pay rates will reamin in place indefinitely with the
power to insert or remove junior rates handed to the Australian Industrial Relations
Commission.

The measure will allow Mr REITH to avoid a June 2000 deadline after which current junior
rates would be subjected to anti-discrimination laws.





The introduction of the proposal follows a Commission report in June which found scrapping
junior wages without a feasible replacement would result in job losses for young people.

AAP RTV msl/rp

KEYWORD: YOUTH (CANBERRA)

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