WAIT – DIDN’T HE LIKE INVENT THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE LAW?
Tony Blair – whose own government introduced the National Minimum Wage in 1998 – is at the centre of a new row about the use of unpaid interns within charities and non-profit organisations.
The former Prime Minister’s charitable foundation – the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative – is currently advertising a three-month internship at their London office, paying expenses only. Despite asking for applicants with “excellent academic credentials with a proven administrative and numerical ability and proficiency in Excel, ideally with prior experience in an office environment” and detailing a long list of responsibilities this intern will be expected to shouder, the AGI have claimed they “do not have the funds to pay volunteers for a role not vital to the organisation.”
For many months now, Graduate Fog and its users have been concerned about the spread of unpaid internships into the charity sector.
Job-seeking graduates are reporting being ‘priced out’ of careers in the charity sector because they can’t afford to work for free for months before they are eligible to apply for paid roles.
Nowadays, it seems you have to be rich to afford the luxury of working for a charity. (And yes, we are all aware of the irony here).
The Africa Governance Initiative advertisement reads:
INTERN: LONDON OFFICE
The Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) works closely with select African countries and their leaders in order to help them deliver on their poverty-reduction agendas. AGI operates using a unique and innovative model that combines the high-level experience and relationships of Mr. Blair, with on-the-ground project teams. We work with countries — currently Sierra Leone, Liberia and Rwanda — that are at potential turning-points, where a tragic past has left a lack of capacity and deep poverty, but where there is clear potential and a leader with the vision and political will to achieve progress. Our work focuses on institutional and operational capacity at the heart of government and the development of the private sector. For more information, see www.africagovernance.org
AGI is a UK charity, which currently has 4 offices: an HQ in London (which sits within the Office of Tony Blair); in Kigali, Rwanda; in Monrovia, Liberia, and in Freetown, Sierra Leone. We are looking for outstanding individuals to undertake a 3 month internships at our London office, which sets strategic direction for the projects, focuses on fundraising for the development and expansion of AGI, and provides administrative and other support to the teams. The internship is unpaid, however you will be reimbursed for your lunch and travel expenses. The ideal candidate would have excellent academic credentials with a proven administrative and numerical ability and proficiency in Excel, ideally with prior experience in an office environment. We are looking for interns to start in August 2011. Please submit a CV and cover letter along with your availability for interview to: [NAME WITHELD BY GRADUATE FOG]@tonyblairoffice.org
Key tasks
Providing logistical and admin support to HQ and in-country teams, including: assisting with HQ and in-country teams’ travel requirements e.g. flights, visas; assisting with general HQ logistics, including: maintaining office systems; assisting with recruitment rounds, ordering office supplies, ad hoc errands etc;
Providing research support to HQ and in-country teams where required, including:
– sourcing articles;
– briefing on individuals and organisations;
– actively seeking articles and publications of interest to the work of the AGI;
– attending events of interest to the AGI’s work;Depending on performance and business need, there may also be an opportunity to become involved in other areas of AGI such as strategy development, fundraising and our work on investment in Africa.
Specification
– Currently undertaking or have completed an undergraduate degree;
– Self-motivated and pro-active, with the ability to work as part of a team;
– Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and a highly professional manner;
– Strong administrative and numerical skills, and a proven knowledge of IT systems, particularly Excel and Powerpoint;
– Previous office experience is highly desirable;
– An interest in Africa, international affairs and/or international development is desirable but not essential.
When challenged, a spokesperson for the Africa Governance Initiative said;
“At the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI), we value our interns very highly. By volunteering with us, they help contribute to improving government effectiveness in some of the world’s most fragile states while gaining valuable experience of the international development sector…. But as a small charity, experiencing the same financial pressures as the rest of the third sector, we do not have the funds to pay volunteers for a role not vital to the organisation.”
Doesn’t Mr Blair have to pay this member of staff? Strictly speaking, no.
As we understand it, there is currently a loophole in the National Minimum Wage legislation which states that interns working within charities and non-profit organisations need not be paid the NMW, even if they meet the criteria of being a ‘worker’ (including set hours and responsibilities). Purely because of the nature of their employer’s work, they are classified as ‘voluntary workers’, who need not be paid.
We are concerned that this loophole – originally designed to protect genuine volunteering, like working in your local soup kitchen – is now being used by many charitable and non-profit organisations to gain free labour, usually in the form of junior administrative roles. Graduate Fog believes that this is not what the loophole was designed for – and we argue that these roles are not true volunteering. They are work, which should be paid.
Unlike genuine volunteering work – which is open to anyone – this internship requires a university education, previous office experience, strong administrative and numerical skills and a proven knowledge of IT systems. Interns will be expected to perform a number of administrative and research tasks – and there is even an opportunity to earn further responsibilities depending on performance. Starting to think that this sounds like an entry level job description? You’re not the only one.
But isn’t it greedy for interns working at charities and non-profit organisations to ask for a salary? Graduate Fog says: No – it is entirely reasonable and fair. Since it is impossible to live for free, I don’t see how it’s reasonable to expect anyone to work for free.
In fact I would go even further – I actually think that it is shameful of big charities and non-profit organisations to lead their junior staff to believe that asking for pay for their work is greedy (isn’t this the subtle suggestion here?). Too often, interns are made to feel that they must prove their dedication to the cause by working for free, full-time. Yet senior staff aren’t expected to demonstrate their commitment like this. They are properly paid for their work – indeed, they often receive pretty hefty salaries.
Graduate Fog is extremely disappointed to see Tony Blair involved in using unpaid interns. For all his many (many, MANY) faults, I genuinely thought he understood the importance of paying workers a fair wage for their labour. When the NMW law was introduced in 1998, most people agreed it was about protecting society’s most vulnerable workers. At that time, that meant the lowest-skilled workers – but fast forward to 2011 and guess what? That now includes university graduates. The same young people who his government urged to go to university because it would guarantee them a better life.
QUIZ!
How much money is Tony Blair is estimated to have made since he left Downing Street in 2007?
ANSWER: £20 million.
*Should Tony Blair pay his intern?
Is it fair to ask junior staff within charities to work for free – or should charities be exempt from the NMW laws? Are you disappointed to see Tony Blair – once the champion of vulnerable, low-paid workers – using a legal loophole to gain free labour? Has he betrayed social mobility?
See the ad for yourself:
http://blair.3cdn.net/122305db7807ae53ec_zgm6iv5nv.pdf
Link dead? Here’s the PDF:
Africa Governance Initiative internship
Unpaid internships in the third sector are no new thing, and I would always stop short of condemning them. Frankly, I don’t know enough about the funding and work of this foundation to be able to opine on it specifically. The NMW legislation (which TB’s New Lab introduced) does allow charities to recruit voluntary workers – this would be illegal outside of the third sector and statutory bodies (they’d simply be a worker and unable to forego their right to the NWM).
It is worth noting the very real distinction between volunteer and voluntary worker, and the implications it has for allowing people without independent means/support to pursue a philanthropic/third sector career. But it would be a brave person who argued/valued the rights of career-seekers before the issues that charities address.
Perhaps there’s a case here for a socially minded charity to set up bursaries to funds excluded job-seekers in third-sector internships.
Hmm, I am not saying it is right for larger ‘rich’ charities to do this, but registered charities are exempt from NMW.
I assume this is to protect smaller, community based, charities who use volunteers (eg Soup Kitches, Homeless Shelters at Christmas). Am I right?
If so, does Graduate Fog, and it’s community, have a solution to safeguard this?
I personally can’t think of one, (beyond starting to classify charities by turnover/donations) but perhaps we can ‘crowd source’ a direction and Graduate Fog can present this as a solution to the Government.
Here is some source material to start us off, let’s go to work!http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/TheNationalMinimumWage/DG_175114
@Faith, Hope
How’s this for a low-tech solution – ask the person: would you rather be paid or not paid?
If they would rather not be paid, they are a true volunteer
If they would rather be paid, they are not!
Personally I think staff costs (including junior staff) are a necessary running cost for charities. When I donate to charity, I expect that at least some of my donation goes towards things like their office rent, heat, light etc… And STAFF. I do not expect everybody who works for a charity to work unpaid – unless they are genuinely volunteering in their spare time, out of the goodness of their heart.
Charities need to find a better way of differentiating between the two. I personally think it’s quite clear just from speaking to someone for 30 seconds… but maybe I’m being too simplistic.??
@James Martin
But it would be a brave person who argued/valued the rights of career-seekers before the issues that charities address.
I think that’s me?! But I’m not alone – 1000s of young people feel the same way. Charities must be accountable for their actions, just like everybody else. There is also concern that in continuing to use unpaid interns, charities are jeopardising their excellent reputations with the public. At a time of high youth unemployment, isn’t it a bit ‘grubby’ to be seen to be using young, unpaid labour?
****UPDATE**** Now CHERIE BLAIR recruits for an unpaid intern!
Bloody hell, looks like they’re BOTH at it:
Here’s the link: http://www.charityjob.co.uk/seekers/jobdetails.aspx?jobid=208109&utm_source=CJ+InterDev+twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=CJInterDev
Tanya, I appreciate where you are coming from and empathise with your frustrations regarding charity internshis and social mobility, but for me the problem is that the line between volunteer and voluntary worker is extremely blurred (in the third sector, that is).
Your ‘would you rather be paid’ rule of thumb works fine in the private / non-charitable world (I’ve used it myself many times) but much less so for charitable organisations. Let’s say you ask a charity intern, ‘would you rather be paid?” They may answer, ‘yes, of course.’ They may answer, “no, that money can be far better used elsewhere by the charity.” There may be instances where a charity s cash-rich and the real issues is staffing resources to put that money into action – then perhaps you pay to make sure you get the very best candidate for the job.
There are lot of examples where charities take the piss – and this one leans towards the piss-taking. Ultimately, you are weighing up social mobility against the resources and benefits of a charity. Think of the extremes: is youngsters’ social mobility in the UK more important than famine relief, 3rd world HIV treatment and prevention, stopping large-scale human rights atrocities, or preventing climate change? While this extremes exist, I don’t see how meaningful amendments to the NMW legislation can be made to stop the piss-takers, without hurting the charities for whom it worth sacrificing a small amount of social mobility.
@James Marin
I agree with you on a lot of things, but I’m afraid that this:
…is where you’ve lost me! In my opinion, this is a beyond-low way to bully young people into working for free. At most of these organisations, NOBODY else working in their offices is working unpaid – because it’s simply not reasonable. People have to earn MONEY to LIVE – and this rule applies whatever stage in your career you’re at.
When I give money to charity, I do not want the most junior staff at their office to be working for free. Sure, I don’t want them to be earning a fortune (as I want as much of my ££ to go to the good cause as possible) but i do not expect staff at charities to work for nothing. Why? Because it’s simply not reasonable – I understand that they have to EAT!
Comparing their ‘need’ to those of starving orphans in Africa with HIV is just not fair! In our society, we have certain values – and paying people a fair wage for their labour – and not taking advantage of desperate young workers – is one of them.
@ James Martin
Hmmm, this is the same country that has a problem with unpaid youngsters in developing countries – unpaid soldiers, unpaid workers?, But we’ll overlook that in our own country because….? Some skewed higher moral purpose?…I’m not buying it.
How about this one, aside from NMW regs charities have a legal obligation to act in the public interest. How is it in the public interest to depress wages? To less social mobility? To indirectly discriminate against the young?
Tanya / Pete – tell me what the answer is. At the moment the voluntary worker / volunteer distinction is the only thing that stands between private companies forcing youngsters to be volunteers to bypass NMW regs. What do you do to the third sector that doesn’t kill genuine volunteering, and, in particular, doesn’t hurt charities that operate where the line between volunteer and voluntary workers is most blurred.
@Pete Jenkinson
I agree with you 100% on everything you have said!
“How’s this for a low-tech solution — ask the person: would you rather be paid or not paid?”
Hi Tanya, yes I like that idea, but then you’d have to adopt that as a blanket approach for statutory bodies… like Political Parties.
I’ve done a bit of campaigning and activism for ending internships, exploitation, and NMW violations, and at one point a small organisation that worked with charities, on a loosely not-for-profit basis, irked me by advertising for unpaid workers. I set the wheels in motion trying to get them to set their ship in order, when a fellow campaigner suggested I think very carefully about the battles i choose to fight. When your target is a charity, rightly or wrongly, it is going to generate public antipathy; antipathy that will taint how people view your cause. God knows, I’ve had enough trouble convincing family and friends that internships are ethically wrong-footed; but strangers who unquestioningly accept internships as the norm will be harder still to persuade when charity work is thrown into the bargain. Moreover, pro-internship folk will find it all to easy easy to cast you as a raving nutter who’d take money out of charities’ pockets – that kind of shit sticks I’m afraid.
You may not agree, but that is one-reason why I will always stop short of condemning third sector internships. I also think that changing NMW legislation to include charities has the potential to do as much harm as it does good. For me, the third sector is a separate, far more nuanced argument.
@James Martin
Thanks for your views – and I take your point. But if graduates are talking about something, I’m going to keep writing about it. In my opinion, many charities are behaving outrageously towards their young workers and I refused to be hushed up.
I’m not sure a political party is a “statutory body” Faith, Hope.
I completely agree with you on this Tanya. have you asked charities:
– How these internships fit with their Equal Opportunities policies?
– How the policy means they can be sure they have the best person for the role? (and not just the best person from the pool of people who could afford to do it).
It’s also absurd that ‘travel expenses and lunch’ gets offered as if these were the only living costs that people have.
“Charities need to find a better way of differentiating between the two. I personally think it’s quite clear just from speaking to someone for 30 seconds… but maybe I’m being too simplistic.??”
I’d have thought a sure sign of the line would be in this article – if you have to go through an extensive hiring and interview process, then the NMW should apply. If you stick an ad in the local paper that just says “We need help! Please volunteer at _______!” and someone puts their head around the door, then they don’t need paying.
As for Tony Blair, you can roughly trace a trajectory from his articles in (I think) the New Statesman in the 1980s, to his strangely hedging rhetoric as Party Leader of New Labour in the 1990s, to Iraq et al in the 2000s, to his rampant post-PM profiteering career and support for Mubarak in the 2010s.
Suffice to say, the man has fully gone over to the Dark Side.