Fair Work abolishes junior pay rates for adult workers, with half a million young Australians to be paid more

Union celebrates ‘landmark decision’ that will mean adults aged 20 or younger are no longer paid less Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Half a million young Australians working in the retail, fast food and pharmacy sectors are set for a wage increase after the Fair Work Commission abolished junior pay rates for those aged 18 and over. The wage rises will be phased in over four years in a landmark change that unions compared to the introduction of equal pay for women in the 1970s. Under the relevant awards, those aged 20 are paid 90% of the adult rate, while 19 year-olds are paid 80% and 18 year-olds 70%. The decision by the commission’s full bench will boost the wages of about 500,000 workers at major retailers including Coles, Woolworths, McDonald’s and Hungry Jack’s. The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association said young adult workers struggled with the same cost-of-living pressures as every other Australian. “This is a landmark decision, up there with the introduction of equal pay for women in the 1970s,” the SDA national secretary, Gerard Dwyer, said. “Eighteen-year-olds can vote, drive