Huge wage boost for thousands of young retail workers as the hourly rates DOUBLES

Thousands of young workers in retail are celebrating after the Australian wages umpire scrapped junior rates for select levels of employment.

Some will now earn the full adult rate of pay following a decision from the The Fair Work Commission.

It ruled junior employee rates of $10.21 will no longer apply for retail workers classified at level four and above, as it meant younger staff were often favoured above older workers.

Employees classified as level three and below will not receive pay increases per hour. 

Gerard Dwyer, the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association national secretary, said the news was welcome as previous arrangements discriminated against adult and junior workers.

Young retail workers are elated after the Australian wages umpire scrapped junior rates for some levels of employment (stock image)

Some retail workers will now earn almost $23 an hour following the decision from the Fair Work Commission (stock image)

‘Junior employees could be favoured over adults because of the lower rates,’ he said in a statement.

‘On the other hand, it discriminated against junior workers because they were doing the work of an adult and getting a lower rate of pay.’

‘Young workers’ in the retail industry are categorised as those under the age of 21. 

Under current guidelines, a 15-year-old worker can earn as little as $10.21 an hour in a retail position at a cafe or fast food restaurant. 

In some cases, that pay rate will now be more than double to almost $23 an hour following the decision from the Fair Work Commission.  

The change will be formally introduced in February next year.

Some retail workers (pictured above) across Australia will see their hourly pay almost doubled come February next year following the decision from the Fair Work Commission