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| Unpaid internships ban debated in House of Lords | |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| The House of Lords are debating whether to ban unpaid internships. | |
| Lord Holmes of Richmond introduced a Private Members' Bill calling for a ban on unpaid work experience exceeding four weeks. | |
| He said the bill would ensure young people had equal opportunities to get into the workplace. | He said the bill would ensure young people had equal opportunities to get into the workplace. |
| The government has previously opposed attempts to ban unpaid internships, arguing it could "undermine existing employment laws". | The government has previously opposed attempts to ban unpaid internships, arguing it could "undermine existing employment laws". |
| Without government backing the bill is unlikely to succeed. | Without government backing the bill is unlikely to succeed. |
| An attempt in Parliament to ban unpaid internships was blocked last November. | An attempt in Parliament to ban unpaid internships was blocked last November. |
| But new research by the Social Mobility Commission suggests there is strong public support for the bill. | But new research by the Social Mobility Commission suggests there is strong public support for the bill. |
| Three quarters of the 5,000 people surveyed said they backed a ban on unpaid internships lasting four weeks or more. | Three quarters of the 5,000 people surveyed said they backed a ban on unpaid internships lasting four weeks or more. |
| 'Discriminatory' | 'Discriminatory' |
| Lord Holmes of Richmond said: "Unpaid internships leave young people in a catch-22 situation; unable to get a job because they haven't got experience and unable to get experience because they can't afford to work for free. | Lord Holmes of Richmond said: "Unpaid internships leave young people in a catch-22 situation; unable to get a job because they haven't got experience and unable to get experience because they can't afford to work for free. |
| "The practice is clearly discriminatory, crushes creativity and competitiveness and holds individuals and our country back. | "The practice is clearly discriminatory, crushes creativity and competitiveness and holds individuals and our country back. |
| "It's time we consigned them to the past, to the novels of Dickens." | "It's time we consigned them to the past, to the novels of Dickens." |
| Many interns already fall under the legal definition of a "worker", a person who has a contract or arrangement to do work, and are entitled to the national minimum wage. | Many interns already fall under the legal definition of a "worker", a person who has a contract or arrangement to do work, and are entitled to the national minimum wage. |
| However Lord Holmes argued existing legislation was insufficient. | However Lord Holmes argued existing legislation was insufficient. |
| "Absolutely we need better enforcement of existing legislation and greater education of young people about their rights," he said. | "Absolutely we need better enforcement of existing legislation and greater education of young people about their rights," he said. |
| "But the national minimum wage can only work if it's possible to establish that someone is a 'worker'. You also have to rely on the intern to report it or HMRC to find out. | "But the national minimum wage can only work if it's possible to establish that someone is a 'worker'. You also have to rely on the intern to report it or HMRC to find out. |
| "HMRC certainly need to do more to find employers using unpaid interns. But this bill gives clarity and closes those loop holes." | "HMRC certainly need to do more to find employers using unpaid interns. But this bill gives clarity and closes those loop holes." |
| 'Confusion' | 'Confusion' |
| Tanya De Grunwald, founder of careers blog Graduate Fog, who campaigns for fairer wages for interns, said: "The bill is well-meaning but I think it's the wrong solution. | Tanya De Grunwald, founder of careers blog Graduate Fog, who campaigns for fairer wages for interns, said: "The bill is well-meaning but I think it's the wrong solution. |
| "The message should be that most unpaid internships are already illegal, with certain exceptions such as working for charities ... Our focus should be on enforcing existing minimum wage law." | "The message should be that most unpaid internships are already illegal, with certain exceptions such as working for charities ... Our focus should be on enforcing existing minimum wage law." |
| She said she would like to see universities doing more to make young people aware of their rights and for it to be made easier to report advertisements for unpaid internships to HMRC. | She said she would like to see universities doing more to make young people aware of their rights and for it to be made easier to report advertisements for unpaid internships to HMRC. |
| In April, a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research found the number of internships had risen by 50% since 2010. | In April, a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research found the number of internships had risen by 50% since 2010. |
| Research by the Sutton Trust, which works to improve social mobility, found nearly a third of graduate interns are unpaid. It estimated a six month unpaid internship in London would cost someone £5,556. | |