Madness:

A LEGAL challenge by two Victorian country town teenagers to keep their jobs has been rejected by the industrial umpire.

In a case that came to national prominence earlier this year, 16-year-old high-school student Leticia Harrison and 18-year-old Matthew Spencer were among six teenagers stripped of their weekday shifts at the Terang and District Co-operative because the national retail award stipulated they had to work a minimum three hours instead of two.

This was despite the students and the owner of the co-op being satisfied with shorter shifts from the end of school to the 5.30pm closing time.

This is why governments should not stand between two parties acting voluntarily to reach a mutually beneficial working arrangement.