Workfare "volunteers" at FP station

sophie

thought this was interesting and totally depressing: http://www.petethetemp.co.uk/workfare-forced-labour-and-the-new-business-and-community-wardens/

sophie

http://www.petethetemp.co.uk/workfare-forced-labour-and-the-new-business-and-community-wardens/ did the link show up in my original post? it's not showing up for me and I can't edit it... the mobile version of this site is awful.

kreuzkav

Thanks Sophie for bringing this to our attention.  I and other people will be looking into this and taking necessary action.  Just because the smug Tories have got into power we will make it our life's mission to combat slavery in the workplace.  

Maximus

Not that I like this particular programme, but it is worth remembering that anyone on the workfare scheme would have already been unemployed for a minimum of 3 years and would have received help of some kind to find work prior to this.<div><br></div><div>This programme is unlikely to work given the reluctance of so many charities/voluntary organisations refusing to take part, and I do understand the anger from those put onto these schemes.</div>

miss annie

Another policy (like tuition fees, introduced by Labour. Alistair Darling called it "harsh but justifiable" when it was introduced. No point blaming Tories for it. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workfare_in_the_United_Kingdom

kreuzkav

Whatever the intention of Mr Darling it has been rolled out during The Tories' watch.  Am I missing something?<div><br></div><div><br></div><div>This is real workfare (not just intense pressure on jobseekers but punitive stigmatisation. I'm surprised they aren't wearing orange overalls:  </div><div><br></div><div><span style="color: rgb(37, 37, 37); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', Arial, 'Liberation Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26.3999996185303px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">During their 2013 annual conference the Conservative Party announced a new scheme, called Help to Work, in part of which ("Community Work Placements") long-term unemployed people will be expected to work for up to 30 hours a week for 26 weeks in return for their benefits. The scheme was introduced in April 2014</span><br></div>

Ali

<p>Unless the photo has been touched up they hardly look like they are starving in fact if anything they are ove wieght.</p><p> </p><p>I wonder why they  have not been able to find a job in 3 years in London ?</p>

kreuzkav

@ Ali.  The long term unemployed should look skeletal?  I claimed benefits a few years back.  Leaving aside housing benefit, I had enough to pay for food, utilities. About £10 on top of that.  That's half the price of a ticket at the Part Theatre.  It was only for a few months and  I was lucky to have savings. I agree there are the feckless who don't want work and will get by on this existence but if we get rid of this it means people will have to accept really low paid work.  I think that's business' agenda?

Ali

<p>I don't really know enough about this but the link above takes you to the petethetemp site where he claimss:</p><p>"He told me he is on a six month, 30 hour per week Workfare placement. The work is a compulsory condition for receiving his Job Seekers Allowance – a meagre £240 a month to live off."</p><p>If the statement is true that  is £2 an hour so  other  benefits must be in play here  as well otherwise they would be biting   your hand of for three times the money on Min Wage (which  is too low)</p>