Good news from BECTU!
25 November 2009
The Employment Tribunals, sitting in Reading, have ruled that workers engaged on an expenses-only basis are entitled to payment at least in line with the national minimum wage, in addition to payment for the holiday they accrue.
The decision arises from a case brought by Nicola Vetta, a former art department assistant, against London Dreams Motion Pictures Ltd.
Read the full article on BECTU’s website: http://www.bectu.org.uk/news/548
The verdict will set a precendent that could be extended to unpaid internships in art galleries and other art organisations!
Quote this verdict to your employer and at your internship interview: interns are workers and should be paid!
‘Resiste – interns rise up‘ is the story of the capitalistically inclined intern Till and the leftist-activist almost-french girl Sydelia. Whilst Till has the idea of opening a consultancy for interns – delighted to have found a plausible market niche – Sydelia wants to tackle the problem at its origins and organize a revolt of interns.
Equipped with french revolutionary spirit and much energy, she does her best to convince Till of her plans. But his mind is made up: it’s about profit, not protest! As both realise that they don’t go well together, but at the same time quite need each other, there’s already a bunch of interns gathering around them, shaping up for the revolution: a general strike of interns that will bring Germany to a halt.
Arts job: ACTORS FOR PART OF POST WW2 EASTERN EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL WORKER
Applications close: Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Employer type: Government
Opportunity type: Volunteer
Category: Visual Arts
Location: United Kingdom
ACTORS FOR PART OF POST WW2 EASTERN EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL WORKER
Voluntary role
Basic travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed.
Date: 15 October – 10 January
It is envisaged that performers will work 1 to 3 days per week for a minimum period of 1 month.
ROLE OBJECTIVE
For his first solo show in the UK, the artist has meticulously constructed an
installation modelled on a disused World War Two era bunker, replete with derelict
industrial equipment- corroded pipes and boilers, rusted generators, electric gauges and other
obsolete machines- as well as old cans, food stuffs and survival supplies. On entering this dimly
lit space through a set of heavy rusted doors, the viewer is forced to negotiate a precarious bridge
leading to a set of stairs that descends into a concrete bunker, all hinting at the menacing nature of
the space. A neglected railway track runs the entire length of the gallery, with a hand operated
draisine occasionally ferrying personnel from one end of the space to the other alongside a warren
of dark and damp rooms which house defunct communication systems and work stations strewn
with old instruments.
We are looking for a number of performers to pay an integral role in this theatrical installation as
uniformed personnel. This is not an interactive role, but requires mostly non speaking
improvisation with the props in the space to further hint at the narrative in this film set like
environment.
REQUIREMENTS
Males, playing age 25-55, to play the part of European World War II bunker workers. This non
speaking part requires wearing uniform, using hand-operated rail cart, inspecting rooms and light
lifting.
DESIRABLE SKILLS
An interest in modern and contemporary art history.
DETAILS
We are looking for actors to perform in the Gallery for a minimum of one day per week on a 1 to
3 month basis for the duration of the exhibition, including some weekends and evenings. The
daily hours will be from 11am to 8pm.
Full briefing will be given by the curators of the exhibition and the artist.
This role is voluntary, but basic travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed.
Interviews to be held on Monday, 12/10/2009 and Tuesday, 13/10/2009.
Closing date for applications: 07/10/2009 6pm. No late entries shall be accepted. Please note that
only successful applicants will be contacted.
Austrian Minister of Finance had the genius idea to launch a campaign called ‘Are You Austria’s Superintern?’, in the midst of spreading student protests…you can ‘win’ an internship with him!!
Carrot Workers Collective on Dissident Island Radio 
Listen to the 16th October show for a chat on unpaid labour, internships, the externalisation of costs, and a critique of the Milburn report.
by Marc Bousquet
chapter 4 of How the University Works
Download from here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/289392439/3345-students_are_already_workers.pdf
J Walter Thompson's intern t-shirt with printed sweat and pre cut wip marks
from: Indymedia London
Following the path of the recent protest actions made by the staff of “Musei Civici di Venezia” (Venice´s Museum System) and “Ca´Foscari” (University of Venice), also the 53rd International Art Exhibition is closing today due to the strike of the crew assigned to many different tasks (non armed wards, museum attendants, customer service).
Those concerned are 110 “human resources”, seasonal and atypical workers (160 during the vernissage and preview days). An army of workers, forced to run after the same job each year, addressing different mutual companies (cooperatives) or employment agencies. read more…
By Michael Skapinker, Financial Times, July 27 2009
If you work in the law, advertising or the media, this is the time of year when friends, contacts and people you barely know ask if you can give one of their children a job.
Not a real job – a temporary position, at no pay, as an intern.
Internships were not around when I was starting out. Summer jobs, if you could find them, were paid: waiting on tables, serving behind counters or sorting the mail.
Today, however, many young people believe they have no chance of getting anywhere without a couple of stints of unpaid work behind them. read more…
