[GLLUG] Overclockers

[Christopher Hunter]

On 22/04/14 11:17, Alain Williams wrote:
> It depends on how much training your staff need. The current intern 
> meme I find particularly despicable: where they have people work for 
> free to 'show that they can do the job', then sack them & get some 
> more free workers. 

You're right.  It's a particularly nasty way to treat anyone, 
particularly the kids that fall victim to this sort of practice. Several 
well-known MPs supplemented their staff with unpaid "interns" for a 
while.  They were "outed" by some of the full-time staff of the House of 
Commons, backed with threats to go to the press, and (I'm led to 
believe) it's stopped.

I'm fully in favour of properly paid trainee or apprentice positions.  
However, Apprenticeships need to be carefully structured and planned, 
and plenty of additional training support needs to be provided - they're 
never going to succeed without it.

These unpaid "positions" need to be made illegal - employees /must/ be 
paid, and they must be paid at least a sensible minimum wage (probably 
of the order of £10 - 12 per hour as an absolute minimum in London, and 
with assistance with their fares).

C.

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