Concern over tourism sector’s use of unpaid interns

24 Jan, 2016 - 00:01 0 Views

The Sunday News

Roberta Katunga, Senior Business Reporter
THE hospitality industry has defended itself over accusations of using students on industrial attachment as cheap labour amid revelations that at least 35 percent of the industry’s labour force were interns.

Last year concerns were raised to Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive officer Mr Karikoga Kaseke over the use of students on attachment by the hospitality sector without any remuneration.

In response to the concerns, Mr Kaseke said the tourism authority was equally concerned about the issue of hotels and lodges getting attachees for free.

“It is indeed a disturbing issue as students end up filling 35 percent of an establishment. However, there is no law that speaks to attachments but employees hence as much as we are frustrated about it, we are not in control,” said Mr Kaseke.

He said some four-star hotels were paying as little as $20 for transport to the attachees only and agreed that something had to be done. However, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe Victoria Falls chapter chairperson Mr John Gwese said the purported element of abuse that was being talked about was not clear as hotels and lodges only provide a platform to gain the practical side of the industry as much as learning institutions provide the theoretical aspect which students are not paid for but actually pay to access.

“What has to be clear is that when students come to our sector they are on work-related learning and they are not coming in as employees or apprentices but as students to gain practical knowledge on the industry,” said Mr Gwese.

Mr Gwese said there was no law that compelled the hospitality sector to pay students but that most of the organisations provided the attachees with transport or an allowance to cover transport as well as meals. He said hotels were not even obliged to provide uniforms for the students and that they were given badges marked trainees.

“Our duty is to provide practical and relevant information on the industry. To say we are abusing students is a wrong position but needless to say there are other hotels that actually pay these students an allowance,” said Mr Gwese.

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