COMMENT

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe should introduce a new code of practice to help ensure a fairer pay deal for venue workers, according to one of the city’s MPS.

Tommy Sheppard has urged organisers of the event to set firm guidelines to ensure staff are paid the “living wage” of £8.45 an hour.

Mr Sheppard claimed there was “widespread” exploitation of Fringe workers despite millions of pounds being made by venues.

He has intervened days after the launch of a “Fair Fringe” campaign to improve the wages and working conditions of venue staff, claiming some were being paid as little as £200 for six weeks work.

He said there was an ethical and moral case for the Fringe Society, which charges for entries to its programme, to

“I don’t think anyone on the Fringe sets out to deliberately exploit people. But you do get situations where the lines between volunteer and worker are blurred”

TOMMY SHEPPARD