The Big Issue's John Bird - Inspiring Entrepreneur

That's a very odd thing to say, seeing as in those days it was an extremely common thing here in the UK.

Who cares what he believes in politically - he's giving people a chance who would ordinarily be overlooked. If you look into the actual runnings of the Big Issue the sellers aren't "paid" as you claim, they are in fact partaking in induvidual franchises of the brand itself, purchasing the magazines upfront and making a profit on what they sell. It's up to them how many hours they put in. They have the same rights as you and I in the workplace, so it's nothing like the Victorian workhouse.