British youth want equal minimum wage

A youth organisation has given evidence to the Government's Youth Commission saying that young people want the equal minimum wage to be made a top priority in 2008/09.

The British Youth Council (BYC) outlined the six most popular campaigns as voted for at their annual meeting last week in a submission to Jonathan Tonge, chair of the Youth Citizen Commission.

After equal minimum wage, the delegates' second most popular demand was for the voting age to be lowered to 16.

Emily Beardsmore BYC Chair said: "This convention, our largest ever, demonstrated that young people care passionately about - and propose solutions to - the issues that ultimately affect us all: education, fair pay, and climate change. Perhaps most importantly of all we want to have a say on who the politicians are who influence all of these through giving us the right to vote!

"We call on the Government to introduce legislation to reduce the voting age to 16 and allow thousands more young people who want to exercise a right to vote to do so."

More than 150 young people attended the national three day convention and annual meeting which finished with the campaign debate.

In total, 68 delegates voted, representing youth groups from across the UK, including Girl Guiding UK, the Scouts Association, the National Union of Students and a range of smaller local youth councils.

The third most popular campaign was more incentives and recognition for volunteering followed in fourth by more radical and urgent climate change targets.

James Cathcart, chief executive of BYC said: "The Convention delegates were enthusiastic, passionate and inspiring and the decision by the Council to prioritise votes at 16 is a major boost to the campaign and to the coalition of other key organisations and political parties who already support it.

"The British Youth Council is an organisation led and run by young people elected to a Board of Trustees. We support young people to have a voice and be heard."

Delegates debated a range of issues - from knife crime to the portrayal of young people in the media - with MPs, journalists and writers, as well as with each other.

The highlight of the annual meeting saw young people aged 14 to 25, queuing up for the 'open mike' session where they spoke passionately for their favourite cause before delegates voted.

Lucy Clare, 18, from Gloucestershire, spoke in support of votes at 16. She said: "I believe the votes at 16 campaign is what BYC is fundamentally about, as we're a youth organisation committed to giving more young people a voice.

"I recently spent three hours on the streets of London talking to the public about this issue and I collected 90 postcards to send to Gordon Brown calling for a reduction in the voting age. So I'm personally aware of growing support for Votes at 16 amongst the general public."

Other popular demands were accessible and free transport for young people and fairer funding for those attending higher education.

For more information visit www.byc.org.uk


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21.08.2008 - 0:00 pressbot.net | 143 X