A campaign to clamp down on breaches of minimum wage legislation for people on journalism work experience moved forward with the delivery of a “name and shame” list of employers to the tax office.

The National Union of Journalists says companies which host work experience placements are required to pay the workers, unless they are students on a college-organised stint.

It believes work experience is increasingly being used by employers to cover staff shortages – with media firms employing former students and young journalists to work for free, in breach of the minimum wage law.

And as well as delivering the list of allegations against certain companies, and demanding an investigation, the union has also launched its own Work Experience Guidelines.

The allegations are based on the results of a recent major survey of work placements.

Union general secretary Jeremy Dear said: “As a result of the survey we have received numerous complaints in confidence about such practices across the media sector. We believe these are just the tip of the iceberg.

“A significant number of media companies – including some very big names – are acting in breach of the law. It is high time this shameful abuse of people wanting to enter our profession was stopped and we will be keeping the pressure on Government to make sure action is taken.”

Testimonials received from survey contributors include:

• “I went on a variety of work placements last summer and my experience was one that certainly put me off working in newspaper journalism. I only had the placement for a week but I could have asked to work for longer if I wanted, but obviously I would not get paid. The news team, who I was working with, were very grumpy and whenever I attempted to be useful, asking if there were anything I could give a hand with, any stories to chase up on, they all behaved quite irritably with me.”
• “I am currently working in a newspaper company and although this placement has allowed me to go out and take a more active journalistic role, (rather than being confined to the office,) I do not feel that I am treated very respectfully, for example, I have to ask if I can borrow someone’s pass every time I need to go to the toilet as they haven’t issued me a pass to get around the building!”
• “I was promised I would receive my travel expenses – despite several e-mails this has never materialised. Work experience can obviously be a great chance for students to find out more about the work place but it seems most of my friends and I felt it was a waste of time and a bit of a con.”
• “Many friends have worked for free in order to get jobs and build their career – something that has not always paid off. One friend from my masters course has worked for free for 11 months without any luck!”
• “I travelled by train from my home (2 hour train journey), received no travel expenses and sat at a desk from 9-5. I was given menial tasks such as making a phonecall or reading a report.”
• “It was the worst placement I ever did. I was given lots of administration work to do, but wasn’t ever given any guidance, I was ignored and left alone and my offers of help were shunned.”
• “I wasn’t even offered parking, and had to pay for that too, and got a ticket after being asked to do something urgently – of course, they didn’t pay for it.”
• “I produced approximately 30 published articles and four front page stories during my time. However, I was only paid for any stories that I stayed back late to work on (3 of them).”
• “I undertook most of my work experience with the understanding that I wouldn’t be paid. However I was working long hours and no expenses were offered.”

The NUJ is asking all journalists who have had similar experiences to e-mail the details to [email protected] so that the union can pass them to HM Revenue & Customs.

Jeremy stressed that, as part of a properly recognised course, work experience is an invaluable way to gain the hands-on experience required to secure that crucial first job, but that this should never mean months of unpaid exploitation at the hands of “ruthless employers” enjoying free or cheap labour.

An Early Day Motion has been tabled in parliament welcoming the NUJ’s research, supporting the NUJ’s code of best practice for work experience placements and calling for action against those employers failing to pay the minimum wage.

Tabled by former journalist Austin Mitchell, the motion – a parliamentary petition – reads: “… this House welcomes the research being carried out by the NUJ relating to work experience for new journalists and supports the NUJ’s code of best practice for work experience placements; and calls for action to require employers to pay the national minimum wage to such placements where appropriate and to adhere to legislation relating to work experience placements.”