Fighting exploitation is now as simple as downloading an app, thanks to a new campaign to protect interns from abuse.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and National Union of Students (NUS) will be working together on the year long campaign for better internships, with a new ‘Rights for Interns’ Smartphone application being launched by the TUC to mark the event. The free programme can be downloaded to both Apple and Android phones to advise interns of their rights, as well as offering general guidance and advice on minimum wage rates.
The movement has been sparked by increasing concerns that unpaid interns around the UK are being used by companies as ‘free labour.’
The number of unpaid internships have also caused fears that jobs in popular career destinations such as the media, advertising and public relations will become an exclusively for the rich.
Frances O’Grady, TUC Deputy General Secretary said: “Whether they are unscrupulous or genuinely unaware of the rules, too many employers are ripping off young people by employing them in unpaid internships that are not only unfair but, in most cases, probably illegal.
“It is vital that we crack down on those internships that offer little but hard graft for no reward. Employers need to know that there’s no such thing as free labour.”
The group argues that non-payment of interns is a breach of the law and of national minimum wage rules and any internship that does not simply involve observation and work shadowing should qualify for payment.
An intern who undertakes work-related tasks, with set hours and a duty to turn up and complete the work is likely to be defined by law as a ‘worker’. These workers are therefore, eligible for minimum wage, working time and paid holiday.
Dannie Grufferty, NUS Vice President (Society and Citizenship) said: “With over a million young people unemployed, we need to be clear now more than ever that young people’s enthusiasm and desire to work cannot be exploited. A fair day’s work always deserves a fair day’s pay.”