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Lost in translation

ALS pretend there is a "tiered system". In fact, all interpreters are offered the same ludicrous "fee", £20.00 for what can amount to a whole morning's appearance at the Magistrates Court. All public service interpreting (courts, police stations, hospitals, probation service, etc.) involves long periods of hanging about doing nothing. This is not the interpreter's fault but their time is as valuable as anyone else's and they are getting one hour's pay for four hours' work. People get paid far more than £20 an hour for the most menial, unskilled jobs. It is not just that the pay offered by ALS and the other agencies who do government work, when the government could so easily contact us direct, is appalling and below minimum wage – it is an insult to our skills and professionalism.

22-Feb-2012

11:57 am