Are Unpaid Interns Becoming The Latest Fashion Trend? By Hanane Zahrouni Many of today’s youth are suffering from unemployment and difficulty in securing their first job and their attempt to gaining access and placing their ‘foot in the door’ for that ‘oh so important’ desirable career. The limit has now been reached further due to high competition and barriers for the need to have a variety of work experience in the workplace as well as government MPs not making it any simpler and overstepping their boundary and contradicting themselves by hiring unpaid interns. According to a survey by ‘Interns Anonymous’ campaign group, a forum where interns share and discuss with others their experiences of unpaid employment, they found out that half of their interns have completed one or two internships. 86% of those who responded to the survey (647 people) mentioned that their internship lasted over a month and the remaining 12% replied saying that they recently have completed a six-month placement. Fellow journalist and London mayor, Boris Johnson has always been deeply concerned for the nation’s youth and problems with unemployment and recently attacked jobseekers for lacking of “appetite” in finding work. However, The National Student have learnt from ‘Graduate Fog’ who can exclusively reveal that the hypocritical Johnson is busy recruiting for his own unpaid intern to assist his ‘Back Boris 2012’ campaign for re-election in May 2012. His full-time “campaign assistant” will receive travel and lunch expenses only. It is a serious humiliation and a scandal that a man of such power and position is willing to take advantage of the ‘desperation of young people in order to further his own political career.’ Although it is very rare for interns to speak out about their situation for fear they will be blacklisted, some do complain about their experiences. Fellow University of Surrey student, Sara Fox* (*name changed) mentions after undertaking several placements and unpaid internships in the industry, the experience she gained has still left her as a struggling and an unemployed arts graduate. ‘Interns Anonymous’ also mentions that it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever that you do not have a written contract, and that a worker/employer contract can come about purely as a result of the way you are treated, it can be entirely unspoken and still apply. In addition, as part of a project on the exploitation of interns, Rebecca Hughes has been mapping every unpaid intern advertisement posted by an MP since January 2011. The map speaks for itself, with every party, from every part of the country implicated.
According to the Guardian, research undertook by Labour MP Luciana Berger has shown that in the previous two years, around 884 unpaid interns have been employment 34 different organizations what are funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. In April 2011, the BBC stated that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg called for employers to stop handing out unpaid internships. He wanted to stop people on gaining an advantage in the career ladder, purely because of ‘who they know’ – all in order to improve social mobility in the UK; even though he previously advertised for a unpaid internship in the past himself. Berger also addresses a vital and straightforward point that ‘unpaid internships limit the opportunities for people who cannot work for free.’ Overall, if an intern/worker is doing work for a company, they have every right to be paid – at least at minimum wage. No question about it! Therefore, if these interns, which Johnson are advertising for are found to fit the criteria of being classified as a ‘worker’ as defined by the HMRC, Johnson may not be defended by the IPSA. IPSA do not have authority over MPs but simply deal with their expenses. MPs (like other employers) are hiring unpaid interns without really bothering to observe employment regulations, mostly because they know that the law is not being enforced. Johnson is not even an MP, his campaign is not a registered charity, and according to ‘Graduate Fog’, the campaign office would not provide any comment after being contacted and asked about the subject. "Unpaid interns are in a vulnerable position, afraid to take action against dodgy employers. HMRC is the one organization that should be standing up for interns but it is letting people down. We need to see an HMRC grow some teeth and crack down on exploitation which is hurting tens of thousands of young people – and the many more who cannot hope to afford to work without pay." Since this, we have learnt from The Guardian that Revenue and Customs is also planning to raid fashion companies employing unpaid interns in breach of minimum wage laws. At least, that is a step forward in the right direction. HZ
If you would like to speak to someone or would like some advice on your situation, you can contact Derry Watson ( derrywatson@gmail.com). He has seen enough young people miss the pay they should be getting and he would like to end it and prevent it from reoccurring. Feel free to drop him a line at any time or you may visit his webpage at www.internsanonymous.co.uk