WESTWOOD BACKS OCCUPY LSX PROTEST – BUT DOESN’T PAY HER OWN INTERNS
Graduate Fog was surprised to hear that Vivienne Westwood is backing the Occupy LSX protest – when we revealed last month that the fashion designer refuses to pay her own interns, who work full-time for up to three months. Given that the protest is against corporate greed, her actions seem at odds with her own company’s policy on using unpaid workers.
According to the Telegraph and Grazia, Westwood swung by the protest this weekend and spent almost two hours touring the camp, and expressing her support for the anti-capitalist campaign, telling protesters: “What you’re doing, I think it’s wonderful.” Her son Ben, who has visited the camp numerous times, said that his mother was so moved by the experience that it’s likely she will make a second visit in the coming week.
Yet, as we reported in October as part of our Pay Your Interns campaign, Westwood’s people are continuing to brazenly advertise long, unpaid internships at the fashion house on their own website, including a three-month full-time “Virtual Merchandising Assistant Internship” for which successful candidates will need to be able to use the specialist design programme Adobe.
When we questioned them about how they felt this position fitted with the National Minimum Wage law – which states that anybody who works set hours and has set responsibilities is classified as a ‘worker’ and is therefore entitled to pay – their spokesperson said:
“I can confirm that we offer a range of internship packages which vary depending on the department, experience of the student and duration. I am afraid that, as a privately owned company, we do not release details of our employment conditions so I will be unable to give you any further information.”
The news comes as HM Revenue and Customs have vowed to create a specialist 12-man taskforce to implement a crackdown on the fashion industry, known to be one of the words offenders when using unpaid interns. The special “dynamic response” unit will have the power to do unannounced raids – and question managers and sift through accounts until it is satisfied that no abuse is taking place.
Spokeswoman for OccupyLSX Naomi Colvin expressed her delight over Dame Vivienne’s visit saying, “Vivienne Westwood is a great British icon and it’s brilliant she wants to contribute.” Graduate Fog agrees that high-profile backers are a valuable asset to this important campaign. But we think it would be even more brilliant if Westwood would put her money where her mouth is and start paying her interns a fair wage for their work. If she really wants to show she is on the side of ordinary people, rewarding her young staff fairly for their labour would be a good start.
*IS VIVIENNE WESTWOOD A HYPOCRITE?
Can individuals and companies really claim they support the Occupy campaign without paying their interns properly? Is it hypocritical that Westwood is telling the world she supports the plight of ordinary people whose lives are affected by corporate greed – when she herself is profiting from the unpaid labour of desperate young workers?
Vivienne Westwood is definitely a hypocrite. At least those companies like Quintessentially and Topshop never claim to be crusaders for human rights and equality. They make no effort to hide that they are in it for the profits. I think Vivienne Westwood would be able to make more of a statement if she paid her interns. Does she not think that she is contributing to the problem? If she hired even 10 paid interns, that would mean 10 less people at the Occupy LSX protest.
What many of these companies don’t realize, is that people are angry. Companies are making job cuts and forcing existing employees to do the work of 3. Instead of using hollow phrases such as “get a job” or “I support your cause”, why don’t these people focus on getting these people off the streets and into the boardrooms. For starters, make your standards high and hire only paid interns. Employers can afford to be pickier with their interns if they pay them and they can get more work out of them. National Minimum Wage is NOT going to bankrupt a company. Secondly, get rid of the unpaid internships and replace them with entry level positions. I’m not an economist and my solution might be a bit over-simplistic, but you would eliminate so many people from the Occupy LSX protest because they would be too busy working their job. The only reason why I’m not protesting with the Occupy Wall Streeters (I support their cause as a recent grad in an entry level position) is because I’m at work. Give other people jobs and this problem will go away.
You know me, I love an excuse to stick it to Grazia http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2011/11/21/vivienne-westwood-gives-a-speech-at-occupy-london.htm
Redheadfashionista, you’ve inspired me to comment on that article.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/nov/17/hmrc-crackdown-fashion-unpaid-interns?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038
I can certainly see how creating a “12 member task force” within the HMRC is going to change the situation.
The best option to introduce redress is for any intern, irrespective of Market Sector, to launch a Legal Claim for Back Pay, replicating the tact of some Media Unions who have represented Interns within Journalism.
Once such claims permeate the system, employers may be wary of attempting to substitute paid employment for interns.
Someone should give Vivienne Westwood an internship. She readily admits that half the time, she doesn’t know what patterns are going out under her company name. Competent designer much?
She’s the worst hypocrite out there–not just because she claims to be ‘ethical’ but doesn’t pay interns, but also because she cries out against climate change, but her label is one of the most polluting ones around: http://eluxemagazine.com/magazine/vivienne-westwood-is-not-eco-friendly/