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Under 18-year-olds deserve national minimum wage rates at the same level of older workers, a political group has said.
The youth section of the Social Democratic and Labour Party said the current amount of £3.40 per hour for all workers under 18 "undervalues" the contributions of young people in the work place.
The group released a statement saying the level for under-18s should be brought into line with the £4.60 development rate for 18 to 21-year-olds and £5.52 rate for the over-21s.
It read: "The public would not accept a wage system that discriminates on the basis of gender or ethnicity so there should not be such tolerance for one that discriminates against young people."
Earlier this month the National Union of Students said the minimum wage exemption for young people training on apprenticeships causes some people to avoid them, according to the Guardian.
Apprentices under the age of 19 do not qualify for the national minimum wage under current rules, while those over 19 and still in the first 12 months of their apprenticeship are also not entitled to the rate.
