However, NUS criticised Nick Clegg for failing to keep his own house in order as three of his own MPs, including Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone, and one Labour MP, were advertising for unpaid internships today.
Dannie Grufferty, NUS Vice-President (Society & Citizenship), said:
“Nick Clegg should demonstrate his commitment to social mobility by making sure all his MPs pay their interns and that HMRC enforce minimum wage legislation.
“It is rank hypocrisy for the Equalities Minister to recruit unpaid interns while her party leader is telling others not to.
“It is not enough to exploit loopholes in the law to avoid paying ambitious people; MPs of all parties must take a moral lead on this issue and commit to paying all their interns a living wage.”
NUS and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have been campaigning against unfair, unpaid and illegal internships, check out our campaign here: www.nus.org.uk/unpaidinterships