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The government will toughen enforcement against employers who do not pay the national minimum wage today when it writes to hundreds of companies warning them they could be targeted for on-the-spot checks by the taxman.
政府表示將加強執法打擊不支付國家最低工資的雇主，并且已經寫信警告數百家公司他們可能成為稅務員上門檢查的對象。
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will warn 200 businesses who have advertised placements for unpaid internships that they could be "publicly named and shamed" and may be liable for a ￡5,000 fine if they are found to be in breach of national minimum wage laws.
英國稅務及海關總署（HMRC）將向200家打廣告招收無薪實習的企業發出警告。如果他們被發現違反國家最低工資法，他們可能會“被公開點名批評”并處以5000英鎊的罰款。
The move will coincide with the launch of a national campaign to educate students about their employment rights as they enter the job market.
此次行動還將配合推出全國性的教學活動，以教育學生他們進入就業市場后的就業權利。
HMRC said that from the tax year in April, it had issued penalties to 466 employers, a significant rifrom 2009/10 when just 381 employers were issued with an HMRC penalty for not paying the minimum wage, currently at ￡6.31 for those aged 21 and over.
英國稅務海關總署表示，從本納稅年度的4月份起，已經向466名雇主開出罰單。而在2009到2010納稅年度開出381張因沒有支付最低工資的罰單。目前，21歲及以上的最低工資是每小時6.31英鎊。
Business, Innovation and Skills minister for employment, Jo Swinson said there was "increasing concern" around unpaid internships especially in the current economic climate.
負責就業的商業創新技術大臣喬·斯溫生表示，人們“越來越關注”無薪實習的問題，尤其是在目前的經濟環境。
"Those occasions when you have people working for months on end for free, really is problematic."
她說：“那些有人免費工作幾個月的地方確實是有問題的。”
Letters from HMRC would "keep businesses on their toes", she said, and ensure they were "properly assessing the legality of what they are doing".
英國稅務及海關總署在信件中表示會“讓企業保持警覺”并且確保他們“正確評估他們行為的合法性”。
"We don't want to have a system where people get exploited and companies try to help themselves to free labour ... when receiving these letters I would hope that firms think very carefully about how the law [operates] for the opportunities they're offering."
“我們不希望存在一個有人被剝削，有企業希望得到免費勞動力的系統……當我希望企業受到信件后會認真考慮法律是如何看待他們提供的就業機會的。”
Swinson, whose department has oversight of HMRC enforcement on minimum wage laws, said that from next year the budget to fund ongoing work on this issue would rise by 10%.
斯溫生所在部門已經監督英國稅務及海關總署執行最低工資法。她表示從明年起投入在該問題上的預算將增加10%。
"This is an area where we do need to have greater priority focus which is why we've moved resources from other parts of the department," she said.
她說：“這是需要我們加大力度有限監管的領域，這就是為什么我們在部門內調集資源的原因。”
Swinson singled out certain sectors such as the fashion industry and the media, where problems were more acute and encouraged people to contact the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368.
斯溫生挑出某些行業如時尚產業和媒體，這些地方的問題比較嚴重。她還呼吁民眾撥打薪酬和工作權利熱線0800-917-2368。
"Any industry which is incredibly difficult to get into and perceived as very glamorous is one where the basic laws of supply and demand mean that there will be people who are willing to work for free and that's something some companies can ultimately be very tempted by."
“有些行業因為門檻高且看起來待遇不錯，基本的供求規律會導致有人愿意免費工作。而這也最終讓公司渴望找到無薪實習生。”
The HMRC letters will say: "If you have got things wrong, but you put them right now, we will not charge you a penalty. If you wait, and we select you for a check and discover the problem, we may charge you a penalty of up to ￡5,000 and you may be publicly named and shamed by the Department of Business Innovation & Skills as an employer who isn't paying [national minimum wage]."
英國稅務及海關總署的信件中說道，“如果你做錯了，但是你現在就報告給我們，我們不會對你罰款。但是如果你保持沉默，當我們檢查你時發現問題，我們會處以5000英鎊罰款而且你可能會被商業創新技能部公開點名批評為不給（最低）工資的雇主。”
Gus Baker from the campaign group Intern Aware said: "It's fantastic that after such a long time the government is moving forwards and starting to tackle the issue of unlawful exploitative unpaid internships. However we are yet to see the impact of this on the ground. Too many employers feel they can get away with asking young people to work for nothing."
來自“了解實習”活動組織的格斯·貝克說：“在經歷長時間的忽視后，政府終于有所行動并且開始處理非法剝削無薪實習生的問題。這太好了。但是，我們還沒有看到這些措施產生的實際效果。太多的雇主認為他們可以僥幸逃過此劫并要求年輕人免費為其工作。”
