The Greens have secured a Senate inquiry into superannuation for workers under 18.
The inquiry will consider the Greens bill which extends super to all workers under 18. It removes the existing legislative exemption that allows regulations to exclude employees under 18 from superannuation guarantee coverage, and repeals the associated regulatory provisions that currently deny superannuation to many young workers.
The majority of young people under 18 (93%) work fewer than 30 hours a week because of their school and study commitments, meaning they miss out on super. Young people shouldn’t be penalised for going to school or studying.
Labor’s national platform promises to deliver on super for all workers. Yet they vote against it in parliament.
The Greens have vowed to continue to fight for super for under 18s and this inquiry does that.
The Senate inquiry will report by 17th November 2026.
As stated by Greens spokesperson for workplace relations, jobs and employment Senator Barbara Pocock:
“Every year, 530,000 teenage workers are denied $411 million in superannuation for no reason other than their age. That’s why we’ve developed a Bill and secured a Senate inquiry.
“For too long, Australia’s superannuation system has failed young workers. It’s time for young workers to be paid the super they deserve.
“Big corporations like Coles, Woolies and Maccas are robbing half a million workers every year.
“The continued exclusion of workers under 18 who work fewer than 30 hours per week is a clear case of legislated age-based discrimination that no longer has any defensible policy rationale.
“85% of Australians believe that anyone in paid work should receive super, and that’s a view shared across all parts of the community.
“If you earn a wage, if you pay tax, then you should earn super. It’s that simple.
“Young workers are not immune from rising cost of living challenges. They are facing growing housing unaffordability, insecure employment, and costly education. Their earnings matter to their households.
“Labor is the party of big corporations, not the party of workers.
“Labor is the party of pathways and resolutions, not action for young workers.
“Labor are hypocrites: Labor voted against super for young workers in parliament but they can’t hide from an inquiry. The Greens won’t let this go.
“Our inquiry will hear from young workers, as well as the big corporations – like Coles and Woolies – who profit off the back of young workers’ lack of super, as well as those like Bunnings who do the right thing and pay teenagers super.
“The Greens will continue to fight for young workers. We will fight Labor to ensure that every young person is paid super on every dollar they earn, no matter how many hours they work.”
