Young workers to get award

Press, 28 December 1988, Page 6

Young workers to get award

PA Wellington Young people delivering newspapers and pamphlets may soon be covered by an award, according to the Council of Trade Unions. A C.T.U. youth worker, Robert Winters, has drawn up a claim for wages and conditions for workers aged under 18. He said safety was a big concern that emerged from talks with young workers. Accident Compensation Corporation figures show that earners aged 15 to 19 are almost seven times more likely to suffer injury requiring compensation than non-earners. An A.C.C. spokesman, Barry Davis, said 14,817 earning teenagers between 15 and 19 were paid compensation for injury last year, compared with 2159 non-earners of that age. Nearly 7000 earning children aged up to 14 received compensation compared with 4408 nonearners of that age. The Newspaper Publishers’ Association’s executive director, Mr Patrick Greene, said there was no need for an award as employers

abided by the voluntary code of practice negotiated some years ago. There was a complaints procedure, but no complaints had been received in the last four years. But Mr Winters said young people worked under “quite appalling" conditions. Pay rates were less than $1 an hour, heavyweights carried often led to injury and employers were not required to provide any safety equipment such as reflectors or lights for bicycles. He said there was a code of practice agreed to by the Publishers’ Association, but many employers did not adhere to it. Claims include an increase in pay from $9.88 to $25 a week for newspaper delivery, a limit on weight carried, holiday pay, sick leave and recourse to the mediation service for personal grievances including discrimination and sexual harassment. Mr Greene said pay rates were better than Mr Winters claimed and employers provided protective gear and instructed staff on safe behaviour.