SNP MP Stewart McDonald has written to opposition leaders in Holyrood asking them to publicly support his Private Members Bill aimed at banning unpaid trial work periods.
Trial shifts entail working for free, in order to secure a job, and are common practice in the UK - particularly in hospitality - and Stewart McDonald’s Bill seeks to end exploitative, unpaid trial shifts for workers.
Stewart
McDonald has now written to all the opposition leaders at the Scottish
Parliament in the hope they will back the Bill, and encourage colleagues in
Westminster to vote in favour of it.
Stewart
McDonald MP commented :
"Unpaid
trial shifts are exploitative to workers - particularly young people,
students and migrants. If people are going to be offered a trial period
where they apply their skills in the hope of securing work then they should be
paid fairly and properly.’’
"I very much look forward to working with trade unions, employers, students and colleagues from all political parties in drafting my Bill and ending this exploitative practice within our economy. People trying to secure work deserve to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect - and have full protection of the law to ensure they are not exploited.