Low pay in the form of youth wages is the biggest problem facing young workers and students today. Even though young workers, students and apprentices are working longer hours than ever, more and more young people are living in extreme poverty.

One in seven undergraduates report going without food or other basic essentials. Students often now spend more than half their income on rent! One in four students, regularly miss classes to keep up with work commitments (Latrobe 2006 study), while many students have to drop out of higher education and training altogether because they simply can’t afford to study and work!

One way in which we can fight against student poverty is to organise our workplaces, and to fight for better wages and conditions. The first step, for all workers is to know your rights at work. Many students and young workers are not aware of their rights, and are often ripped off at work.
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