A probe is to be launched to review the employment of young workers on unpaid internships.

The Trade Union Congress called for a Low Pay Commission examination of whether minimum wage legislation is being broken by advertisements for unpaid interns last November.

The TUC claimed it did not want to block genuine work experience, but feared the system could lead to exploitation. Examples included MP offices advertising for interns to work unpaid and evidence that many firms, especially those in the media, ask for long periods of unpaid work as a price of entry to the sector.

The House of Commons' guidelines on the use of graduates are being rewritten, but the review will address the issue of whether interns keen to enter particular industries are being exploited by working long hours for little or no pay.

In response to the launching of the probe, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Properly managed work experience programmes are an important part of preparing young people for the world of work. But some employers are guilty of exploiting those keen to get that all important first job in film, TV or journalism by only paying expenses, whereas in some cases they should be paying them at least the minimum wage.

'Our concern is that currently only young people with well-off parents can afford to work for nothing for six months or more. This means that film and television production companies, newspapers and broadcasters risk excluding those from less privileged backgrounds.’ He added that the TUC will push ministers to ensure that 'genuine work experience opportunities are protected and the exploitation of interns is stamped out'.