NEWS RELEASE EMBARGOED UNTIL MIDNIGHT FRIDAY 25 JULY 2003
STUC YOUTH CONFERENCE CALLS FOR AN END TO AGE DISCRIMINATION IN MINIMUM WAGE
The STUC Youth Conference will today call for an end to age discrimination by the Government in their policy relating to the National Minimum Wage and will announce their intention to lobby Westminster MPs on this issue in the Autumn.
Fiona Smith, member of the STUC Youth Committee and member of the STUC General Council, said:
"It is outrageous that the Government still allows employers to exploit young workers by denying them access to full minimum wage protection and ironic that, at a time when the Government is introducing legislation to protect employees against age discrimination in the workplace, their own policies do just that."
The STUC Youth Conference will debate a motion on this issue in the afternoon of Saturday 26 July and will also hold a panel discussion on this issue involving Rami Okasha, President of NUS Scotland; Margaret Prosser, Low Pay Commisioner; John Wilson, Director, Scottish Low Pay Unit; and Fiona Smith of the STUC Youth Committee.
All members of the press are welcome to attend the Conference.
Note to Editors: The Conference takes place on Saturday/Sunday 26/27 July 2003 in the STUC Centre, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G63 6NG.
For further information contact Rozanne Foyer STUC Assistant Secretary