Following today’s action outside PaknSave Royal Oak, the attention turns tomorrow morning to PaknSave Manukau, where a picket will be joined by a giant inflatable rat from 8.30am.

As the government’s new youth pay law comes into effect today, a large group of Auckland supermarket workers are taking action to prevent a wage cut through youth rates being introduced in their stores.

Supermarket operator Foodstuffs is isolating itself as a low wage employer for young workers, and should instead take the lead from the large fast food firms and others in retail who have opted out of youth rates, the retail workers’ union said today.

A union representing many low paid workers, especially in the retail sector, has described this week’s 50 cent increase in the minimum wage to $13.50 as “pathetic”.