and ask parliamentary authorities to do something about it…
This Early Day Motion has just been published:
EMPLOYMENT TERMS FOR HON. MEMBERS’ STAFF UNDER THE INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY
That this House notes with grave concern the reduced employment terms and conditions for staff of hon. Members under the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) expenses scheme; recognises the real terms reduction in hon. Members’ staffing budgets and urges IPSA to raise the staffing limit for hon. Members in the forthcoming review; further notes that redundancy rights have been reduced to a statutory basis, removing discretion to reward loyalty; further notes that hon. Members are also prevented from rewarding good performance through bonus payments to staff; urges IPSA to work towards the creation of a human resources department; further urges IPSA to reconsider the decision no longer to deduct trade union subscriptions at payroll; calls on IPSA to amend the expenses scheme so that payments related to maternity leave and cover can be made from a separate budget and not treated as contingencies; further recognises that in practice many Parliamentary internships qualify for the national minimum wage and further urges IPSA to create an interns fund fairly to pay them; further recognises that public anger at the previous expenses scheme was not due to staff costs and therefore opposes any arbitrary publication of staff salary details; and further urges IPSA to work alongside the Unite Parliamentary Staff Branch and other staff associations to resolve these issues.
and these MPs have signed it:
Jack Dromey
John Cryer
Bob Russell
Grahame M. Morris
Mr Peter Bone
Teresa Pearce
Ian Lavery
Kelvin Hopkins
Mr Michael Meacher
Pamela Nash
Luciana Berger
Mr Andy Slaughter
Andrew Gwynne
Mark Durkan
Interestingly Andy Slaughter is a serial user (or is it abuser) of unpaid interns. See here, here and here.
As the very same Andy Slaughter said in a letter a coiple of years ago:
“The current staffing allowance is not sufficient to employ two experienced full-time staff on London pay rates. The consequence is one or all of the following: underpaying staff; overworking staff; providing a poor, slow service to constituents; supplementing staff with interns, casual workers and work experience students, which is neither good employment practice nor efficient”
He hasn’t got enough staff so he has to take on interns – not remotely what the Revenue would consider acceptable (let alone being “good employment practice”!).