A Scottish Anti-Poverty Group Is Advertising For Six Unpaid Baristas

    The arrangement "seems perfectly appropriate", the director of Common Weal told BuzzFeed News.

    Common Weal, a Scottish political movement which wants to "create better quality jobs that will make our people more prosperous", is advertising for six unpaid baristas for its Edinburgh cafe, The Common.

    Robin McAlpine, the director of Common Weal, told BuzzFeed News the arrangement "seems perfectly appropriate" as the cafe "is not a commercial enterprise".

    The advert asks for six "Common baristas", and says the cafe will be relying on "the goodwill of volunteers to help make The Common a success".

    The left-wing group has previously called for higher wages, a shorter working week, and a bigger welfare state.

    McAlpine said of the cafe: "This is a voluntary social enterprise where people want to give their time and contribute to discussion. No one makes any profit from this. This is simply a group of people who want to have a place where they can come to talk politics and get involved, and this will be done on a voluntary basis."

    "In these cafes there will be sessions and talks where people will volunteer time to talk about a subject or launch a book, and they won't be paid either."

    McAlpine said Common Weal intends to open a cafe in Glasgow which will be a "commercial enterprise" and "of a completely different nature altogether". He said he was "very hopeful" the Glasgow cafe would pay its employees a living wage, but that he is "still putting a business plan together".

    The advert for the unpaid baristas says it anticipates "a lot of interest", so get your applications in soon.

    UPDATE: The group has apologised for the advert, which has now been edited.