Concerns raised by the Employers Federation, that raising the minimum youth wage rate may mean employers stop employing
youths, were dismissed by Prime Minister Helen Clark today.
“There isn’t a lot of evidence that many employers are paying anywhere near the minimum rate,” she said, anticipating
that few employers would have to make a big adjustment.
Miss Clark said she was concerned that there was no minimum wage at all for training and that trainees could be paid
nothing.
She said the Government would be looking at the two issues tomorrow.