Alexis Corbiere, who is a French National Assembly member for La France Insoumise, made the call and has also written to the country's Government

"They should be made employees, under contract, so that they can receive an honest salary in view of their real functions and tasks," Corbiere told French radio station Europe 1,

"It's often young people who go to work eight to ten hours a day, six days a week, and will not even be able to participate in one of the major sports competitions" 

 Corbiere drew a distinction between those volunteering for clubs and sports in France and and major events such as the Olympics which generate millions.

"When we make people work for 15 days at fairly high intensity, we pay them," he added.

Around 300,000 applications have been received for the 45,000 volunteer positions at the Olympics and Paralympics and selection is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Volunteers have been part of the Olympic Movement for over a century with Boy Scouts helping at the 1912 Stockholm Games, but it was at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics that the concept was expanded when a volunteer force of nearly 29,000 was deployed during the Games alongside salaried staff,

Members of the International Olympic Committee are also considered to be volunteers,

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games begin on July 26 2024 before the Paralympic Games start on August 28 2024.