I know this is technically not an “anti-work” post, but I decided to still post it here.
So, as a university student, I'm searching for a new casual/part-time job. One of my mom's friends referred me to an old Chinese man, and she told me that his 17-year-old son is making $17 AUD per hour under this man. Since he is under 18, he is entitled to a lower minimum rate so I didn't realize anything was wrong when I heard it. I will be 20 in a couple of months from now, so my minimum rate by law is $21.38 AUD per hour. I went for the interview, and that old man told me he is going to pay me 18 AUD per hour in cash. He thinks that I have no idea what he is trying to do, so I decided I am not going to accept this job. I told this to my mom and she said that I shouldn't have rejected the job and that it was “his problem” for not obeying the law and paying less than the minimum wage doesn't matter, and this is the norm in the Chinese community. I said that if anyone is trying to pay me less than the minimum wage I will report them to the New South Wales (a state in Australia) Fair Work Commission, and I was told don't do it, “Who will hire you in the future if you did that?”
I'm annoyed that my mother is willing to accept such illegal practice and not speak for their own deserved rights. How do I make them realize that this is wrong and speak for their own rights?