Retail giant B&M has come under heavy fire after a Glasgow mother claimed the company obtained free labour out of her son in the run up to Christmas.

The mum - who asked the Evening Times that she not be named - first highlighted the issue on Facebook just over a week ago.

Describing how she was “absolutely disgusted with B&M,” she explained: “They interviewed my son and had him working Thursday, Friday, and Saturday on trial shifts - all five hours each - without pay.

“He was on the work rota [for today], 11am to 6.30pm, and Saturday.

READ MORE: Glasgow MP bids to outlaw 'exploitative' unpaid trial shifts

“They phoned him at 10am and informed him he did not have the job. Slave labour.

“How many others have they done this with? Very unethical way of obtaining free labour over the Christmas period. They should be ashamed of themselves.”

Within days, the post gathered more than 1,300 shares, hundreds of angry reactions and comments.

B&M has not responded to the Evening Times’ requests for comment.

The concerned mum has since thanked all of the people who shared her original post.

READ MORE: Cafe chain faces outrage after asking workers to do unpaid work before being considered for job

She added: “There are so many people out there who are desperate to find a job in order to support themselves and improve their self esteem, and it’s absolutely disgraceful that companies are permitted to treat people this way.”

B&M was first established in 1978 and is now one of the leading variety retailers in the UK, employing over 22,500 staff.

According to the Financial Times, the company’s profits jumped by 18 per cent for 2016/17 with a pre-tax profit of £182.9m in the year to March 25.

Revenues also rose 19.4 per cent to £2.4bn, thanks to 57 new stores that opened in the UK and Germany, which is the company’s other main marketplace.

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Betterthanzero - a campaign group which works to take action against Scotland’s most exploitative employers and to end zero hours contracts - said: “What kind of Scrooge employer brings people in to do shifts for multiple days in the run up to Christmas, then calls them up to say they don’t have a job?

“We think it is a disgrace if B&M Stores, a company that made over £100 million in profits last year, is exploiting unpaid trial shifts.”

Just last month, the SNP’s new Westminster leader urged Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn to give their backing to a bid to end the “scandal” of unpaid work trials.

READ MORE: Young workers to get biggest increase in national minimum wage rate for a decade

Ian Blackford said the Tory and Labour leaders must both “walk the walk” on workers’ rights and back a private member’s bill being brought forward by an SNP MP.

Stewart McDonald, MP for Glasgow South, hoped to change the law to outlaw the practice of employers asking job seekers to do a trial shift for for free.

The Evening Times has previously reported on local companies who take advantage of young workers.

READ MORE: Sports Direct workers protest on Glasgow streets over 'broken promises' on zero hours contracts

At the start of this year, cafe chain Mooboo Bubble Tea was forced to change its training policy after pressure from activist groups and politicians.

The company, which has two stores in Glasgow, fell into hot water when we revealed bosses required staff to undertake 40 hours of unpaid work before they could be considered for a job.

Have you been affected by any of the issues in this article? Send an email to aftab.ali@heraldandtimes.co.uk to tell your story.