RIBA orders members to pay students minimum wage

RIBA president Ruth Reed says practices need to take responsibility for paying students properly.

The RIBA has told its members they will have to pay students the minimum wage from July 1.

The news was announced following recommendations from the RIBA’s Pay and Conditions working group, which RIBA president Ruth Reed set up last November.

At the moment the RIBA only produces guidance outlining recommended rates firms should pay for architecture students but this is the first time RIBA chartered practices will be required to comply with minimum pay rates.

Reed said practices had to take responsibility for paying students properly and not use the recession as an excuse to not pay them what they were owed.

She added: “Whilst all appreciate that trading conditions are extremely difficult for practices at the moment, the financial position of students is particularly severe and about to get considerably worse when fees treble next year.

“The requirement for adherence to the minimum wage will assist students in completing their education and go some way to alleviate the effects of the education cuts on the flow of talent to the profession.”

Reed said RIBA would be holding a number of meetings throughout the rest of this year with students and practices to look at ways of paying students more than the minimum wage.

The current minimum wage for those 21 or over is £5.93 an hour, while those aged between 18 and 20 are entitled to £4.92.

Source: BDonline