Just Fancy That - or "compare and contrast" - a déja vu edition

1. The Manchester Gazette yesterday, singing the praises of Hazel Blears’ work experience scheme.

2. The Manchester Gazette yesterday, on the subject of "A Fair Day’s Pay For A Fair Day’s Work" complete with a special mention of the work being put in on this important campaign by one Hazel Blears...

It further coincides with a renewed call last month by Salford and Eccles MP Hazel Blears for all employers, including her fellow Parliamentarians, to end the practice of offering unpaid internships. Not only are they unlawful, Ms Blears believes that they are morally wrong because they give an unfair advantage to young people from better off backgrounds who can afford to work for free.

She took to the floor of the House of Commons to ask Prime Minister David Cameron to ensure that the National Minimum Wage was enforced, and that there would be no “exploitation” of students graduating from university in her constituency, and from across the country, this summer. As the law stands, anyone who works set hours and has set responsibilities is entitled to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage.

So according to Hazel and apparently the Manchester Gazette it is (still) definitely the case that forcing graduates to take unpaid internships in order to gain experience is very very wrong, but having unemployed non-graduates do unpaid work experience under a scheme to which Hazel attaches her name is fine... especially if it offers up a "photo op" or two...

See also Just Fancy That - or "compare and contrast"