A GLASGOW MP said he has overwhelming support for his Bill to ban unpaid trial shifts as it goes before Parliament today.

MPs will debate the Private Members Bill by Glasgow South SNP MP Stewart McDonald who wants to outlaw employers expecting candidates to work shifts for free before being offered a job.

A YouGov survey found almost two thirds of people said it was unfair to ask people to work for free in a trial shift.

Mr McDonald has backing of many MPs across parties and the support of the STUC and employment lawyers for his Bill to succeed.

He said: “My Bill is needed because the law on unpaid trial shifts is currently a grey area that is used to take advantage of people in an unfair and sometimes cynical way.

“In 20 years of the National Minimum Wage Act there hasn’t been one case, far less a prosecution or government action, against the use of unpaid trials shifts

“All people want is to be treated fairly and banning unpaid trial shifts will be a step in the right direction in ensuring this happens for people across the country.”

In the poll 65% said it was not fair. 24% said it was fair and 11% did not know.

Mr McDonald added: “This poll is very encouraging and shows overwhelming support for the aims of my Bill. That is a really important message as my Bill comes to the House of Commons.

“It already has cross-party support at Westminster and if passed, it will be one step closer to ending some of the exploitations that exist in the workplace.”

The poll comes as the Unite union said it found that TGI Friday’s chain uses unpaid trial shifts for up to six hours.

A “snapshot poll” of members working for the American chain found of the 95 who responded 76 had worked an unpaid shift before being hired

One waitress, Unite spoke to said that she was asked to do a two hour on job experience (OJE),TGI Friday’s term for trial shifts, which ended up being six hours as the restaurant was so busy and short staffed.

She has never been paid for those hours, despite being hired immediately.

Unite regional officer, Dave Turnbull said: “This is yet another example of employers in the hospitality sector shamelessly exploiting a loophole in minimum wage law and then claiming it is ‘standard industry practice’ when challenged.

“Essentially what TGI Fridays and others are doing by not paying for trial shifts is making workers pay the equivalent of £7.50 an hour, the UK national living wage for 25 year old and over, for each hour they spend going through the selection process.