On Thursday, the Committee on Labour, the Family, Social Policy and the Disabled plans to discuss, at second reading, a motion aiming to scrap unpaid internships, since interns are often exploited as a source of unpaid labour.

The SDS-sponsored bill includes amendments proposed by the government and other deputy groups. The Mladi Plus trade union, the Slovenian Student Organisation (ŠOS) and the National Youth Council of Slovenia urged MPs not to rush the bill into law and instead asked them to withdraw the item from the agenda. They urged the government to commission a report on paid and unpaid internships, and present their findings in the following months. They said that this report should serve as a basis for further deliberations.

The organizations demand that all stakeholders, i.e. youth organizations, educational establishments, trade unions, employers etc, be included in the legislative process. They have also called for a measure that would establish a system of quality and paid internships based on the data gathered. The government is now hoping to secure EU funds for internships.

Many students cannot pursue internships. Social services organizations, where voluntary internships have been illegal since 2009, are a case in point. EU funds were tapped to fund these internships, but they dried up in 2013. As a result, more than 500 graduates are now waiting for an internship opportunity, according to the Mladi Plus trade union.

G. C.; translated by D. V.