A government “backtrack” on internship regulations risks entrenching the exploitation of students and young workers, Peo’s youth office warned on Thursday, urging the immediate submission of long-delayed legislation to establish a regulatory framework.

According to the organisation, all prerequisites for national legislation to proceed have already been completed.

It said the views of all parties involved, including students, pupils, trade unions, employers, the government and parliament have been heard, while the government has already set up a special technical committee and held successive meetings with the House labour committee.

“The new labour minister stated during his meeting with the House labour committee that the government does not intend to submit a bill but will await the completion of the processes at the European level for the conclusion of a European directive, and will accordingly return to national legislation,” Peo said.

This development constitutes a “clear backtrack”, it added, stressing that the discussion at European level was known and dated and had never, in previous statements, been cited as grounds for delaying national legislation.

It said that young workers and students, required to complete internships to obtain a professional licence, had expected, after repeated postponements, that a bill would be submitted by the end of 2025, but “are today informed that their exploitation will continue indefinitely, as will the grey areas surrounding the internship regime”.

“The only ones who insisted that the European directive should be awaited before any national regulation were the employers, who are served by delay and the maintenance of the current situation,” the organisation stated.

“This is not the first time that the government has fully identified the position and tactics of the employers,” it added.

Appealing to the government to submit the bill without further delay, as it has repeatedly pledged, Peo stated that “when and if the procedures are completed at the European level, then whatever adjustment is necessary can be made to ensure the necessary harmonisation.

“Student interns are workers who produce work and profit, often without any remuneration and without basic labour rights, being the object of systematic exploitation,” it added.