MAJOR EVIDENCE was published last week of the role of trade unions in defending young people's wages.
steadily falling as a proportion of full wage rates 1979 to only 36 per cent in 1983.
The pay of young women under 18 has fallen per cent of the average pay of all women workers in 1979 to only S1! per cent in 1983.
But a new study by the Research Department shows that the reinve reakers pao are covered has not fallen by anything like the same amount as among the non-unionised.
In 70 per cent of cases where young workers were covered by agreements no decrease in youth rates of pay relative to other workers has taken place.
The majority of cases where young workers pay has decreased relative all workers, and wnieh are unionised, the sector and in wage council industries. In both areas the Thatcher government has made a special effort drive down wages. The average pay of young workers has been four per cent of cases trade umons nau suc ceeded negotiating agreements decreasing the gap between workers wages and the rest of the workforce.
He cabour Research study also reveals clearly why the Thatcher government is so keen to use the TS scheme to attempt to break unionisation among young people. Young workers not protected by agreements have seen their wages cut back sharply since 1979. Young workers covered by trade union agreements have in the large majority of cases seen inel relalve wage. protected.
The Labour Research Department, in examining wage agreements, could only find one case glove manutacturint.- in which a unionised industry had agreed a youth wage rate as low as the £25. week of the YTS scheme. Birmingham demonstration against YTS Over 65 per cent of manual unions had negotiated WatC for young workers of at least f42 a week £17 more than YTS pay. Nearly half of unionised white collar jobs had youth rates pay of at least f51 a week more than twice the YTS rates.
In other words the unions since 1979 have been doing a major job in keeping up young people's pay rates. The unions are also negotiating rates of pay far above the level the government is trying to impose through the YTS scheme At a time when the government is attempting to smash trade unionism, when wide disenchantment exists about the young people, this Labour Research Department study deserves to be given the widest possible publiciIt shows the real base which exist for sLabour trade union campaign to win over young people to trade union membership support for and membership of the Labour To be effective however this campaign has • to involve the Labour Party ana lue lolally breaking wịth the YTS scheme which the government is precisely using to try to break down the youth wages and conditions which the have been defending.
VTS in practice p2 Angie of ates are find 17 year ok Alcohol policies/p12 Bargaining news/p14 uarter of the new pay ro odorodorot Research Department, Bargaining Report, December 1983.
Includes 'YTS practice' 'Young workers pay Bargaining DECEMBER 1983 negatione LAD survey of wynent otters Young workers' pay p6 nary of settlements in the fir BR index issues 2130/p16 LABOUR RESEARCH DEPARTMENT Available Research Department, Blackfriars Road, Lon 0I 8HF. Price £2.50
Socialist Action 13 January 1984
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ever since the election of the Thatcher government. The pay of male workers under 18 has fallen from 40 per cent of the average pay of all male workers in
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