Campaign group 'frustrated' with Edinburgh Fringe working conditions
Fair Fringe have campaigned for more rights for workers at the festival
Fair Fringe has said it is 'frustrated' with the lack of progress that's been made on working conditions for temporary staff at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe since the group started.
The campaign group began in 2017 to tackle what they describe as "exploitation and poor working conditions in the Edinburgh Fringe" but say many are still underpaid or overworked by various venues across the city.
One of the groups campaigners, Mike Williamson said:
"This is their first job for some of these people and they're coming to Edinburgh, they're really optimistic they think it's going to be a really great time. And then it's not. And they think that's normal, not only in the hospitality sector but also in the performing arts."
"I've worked in a few different sectors and it's not normal. It's not normal for people to be paid less than the minimum wage, it's not normal for people to be expected to work 60-hour a week at all hours of the day and not getting proper rest breaks."
"There's still an awful lot to do. We still see a lot of false volunteering, we still see squalored accommodation, we still see people working ridiculous hours and occasionally we still see people who are being paid less than the minimum wage"
We have reached out to Fringe Society, the organisation that underpins the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, for comment.
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