It was really disappointing to see the way students acted in the city in protest of youth rates yesterday. Prior to their little protest march I have to say I was slightly sympathetic to their cause, but now I'm not so sure. These students were disrupting traffic, and what made it worse was that they were skipping school to do it. Work is work, school is school. You shouldn't be skipping school to protest about something related to work. These students are missing out on schoolwork, which would help them get a higher paid job in the future! If youth rates are abolished, will employers choose to employ inexperienced youth over older, more mature and experienced people? The push for $12 minimum youth rate is a bit unrealistic as well. The minimum adult wage isn't even that, how can you expect the youth rate to be abolished and then to suddenly increase to $12?
I'm disappointed at Radical Youth and the union who organised buses to be sent to schools to pick up protesters. What's more is I'm disappointed at Green MP Sue Bradford, whose bill to abolish youth rates is at the centre of all of this. She basically encouraged students to skip school to protest. That is irresponsible to encourage people to break the law. When Labour is going to support the bill anyway, what is the point of these strikes and protest action?
What a shame this strike was the only way to get Rutherford High School into the NZ Herald. The last time was when fireworks was chucked into the hall during prize-giving assembly!
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