SCOTLAND’S biggest New Year festival has been accused of “exploiting” young workers and urged to withdraw 300 jobs in which staff would be asked to work up to 12 hours for free.

The firm behind Edinburgh’s Hogmanay say successful applicants for the unpaid posts would become “welcoming faces” for the event – receiving reasonable travel expenses and a personalised certificate.

But the controversial move – which comes amid a backlash against unpaid trial shifts and zero-hours contracts – has provoked a furious response with critics branding it a “scandal”.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay called on the organisers to “immediately” end the practice, while unions claimed it was “morally reprehensible”.

Mr Findlay said: “I find it absolutely outrageous that we have one of the busiest days of the year, bringing in probably one of the biggest incomes of the year to Edinburgh, and here we have a company exploiting that situation by attempting to take on hundreds of most likely young people for zero pay.

“This to me is a scandal and I would call on the organisers to immediately end this practice, and pay people at least a living wage for their hours.”

Events company Underbelly – one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s biggest venue operators – won a £800,000 contract to run the city’s Hogmanay events for three years in March.

It is estimated the celebrations bring in around £40 million every year, with tickets to the world-famous street party costing £26.

Advertising the volunteer positions, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay said its “street party hosts” would be the “welcoming faces” of the event.

It is also looking for unpaid supervisors and volunteer dancers “to be part of this amazing night”.

As well as working on the night itself, it said volunteers must be available for training and induction days.

In return, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay will provide meal vouchers, “reasonable” travel expenses and a “personalised certificate” sent by email.

Unique Events – which previously ran the Hogmanay celebrations after helping to create the event in 1993 – confirmed it had not used volunteers during its time at the helm.

Bryan Simpson, from living-wage campaign group Better Than Zero and the Unite trade union, said he had now written to Edinburgh Council leader Adam McVey.

He said: “To ask hundreds of highly skilled workers to be the face of Edinburgh Hogmanay in the freezing cold for free is not just morally reprehensible, it may be unlawful, particularly given the fact that Underbelly is a profit-making organisation.”

SNP MP Stewart McDonald, who is currently leading a campaign to ban unpaid trial shifts, said: “Whilst volunteering is a great opportunity to gain new skills, we must receive assurances that those who staff the event, and make it a success, are not being exploited for something that would normally be paid work.”

Ross Greer MSP, culture spokesman for the Scottish Greens, said Scotland’s reputation would be “tarnished” if Underbelly went ahead with the “mass exploitation programme”.

Underbelly, which is owned by Old Etonians Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood, sold more than 1.3 million tickets internationally last year, with an Edinburgh Fringe box office turnover of £2.5 million.

The company also runs Edinburgh’s Christmas events, and said it had “hugely ambitious” plans to expand the city’s winter festivals over the next three years.

A spokeswoman for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay said it employs 1,700 staff and insisted the volunteers would not “in any way replace any paid employment”.

She said the volunteer roles “are there to provide opportunities for people who want to get involved in major international events either for experience, camaraderie or any other reason, and who choose to volunteer”.

She added: “Volunteering is a fantastic way to get involved at a festival such as Hogmanay and has been shown to have many social and wellbeing benefits and we believe Hogmanay will be enriched by giving people the opportunity to be involved on a voluntary basis.”

Edinburgh Council ran its own unpaid scheme over the August festival period, recruiting volunteers to welcome visitors and dish out advice and information.

Councillor Donald Wilson, the city’s culture leader, said: “The council promotes fair wages for all, and will only support organisations which pay the living wage to their staff.

“Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is a living wage event but, like most festivals and major events, it also offers unique opportunities for volunteers to be part of something special.

“This summer, for instance, we saw citizens take to the streets to champion Edinburgh in August as part of a pilot project with Festivals Edinburgh. This is Underbelly taking inspiration from this scheme, with a programme which allows those who are interested to be part of their production.”