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Interns allege maltreatment by ‘employers’

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A privately-owned national television station in Lagos, which is popularly perceived to be among the best in the country, seems to have made its operational policy to recruit interns of various levels of academic qualification and convert them to domestic workers without any form of remuneration or stipends.

The engagement negates the original plan to provide them with opportunity to acquire hands-on skills in the field of broadcasting and other studio experience.

Internship is seen as an opportunity offered by an employer to potential employees or students in training to work at a firm for a fixed, limited period of time. Interns are usually undergraduates or students, and most internship last for any length of time between one week and 12 months.

The particular TV station appears to be taking advantage of the high number of students and graduates seeking placement with it, and after subjecting such applicants to rigorous entrance tests, the best of them are selected on conditions of “No Pay,” just as they look forward to acquiring relevant practical skills as their only benefit throughout their relatively short stay.

The absence of remuneration could be considered as the least of their worries as they are soon made to settle into such a hostile and inhuman work atmosphere, where they are engaged in work activities that could only be likened to that of indentured slaves.

Speaking with New Telegraph, some interns, who are attached to the television’s newly launched breakfast show, revealed that the management of the organisation, which is said to be headed by a Caucasian, deliberately refused to engage blue-collar employees, such as cleaners, stewards, janitors, or even office assistants. This is because interns are made to do such odd jobs.
New Telegraph, September 1, 2017

 

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