to boycott shops that use forced unpaid labour (aka slavery)?

[ChickenLickn]

These stores:

Boots,
Tesco,
Asda,
Primark,
Argos,
TK Maxx,
Poundland,
Arcadia group of stores run by billionaire Sir Philip Green, which includes Top Shop and Burton,

are all using 'workfare' schemes, forcing jobseekers to work 30 hrs/week unpaid for 6 months in profit making companies or face losing their jobseekers benefits. Mre details here.

Please avoid shopping in these shops as much as possible, this is basically slavery and is illegal under human rights law (and currently being challenged in the courts).

The good news is that Waterstones and Sainsburys have recently pulled out of the scheme.

Sorry I felt uncomfortable using the word 'slave' and used 'these people' instead...

They've just made dp (recently redundant) sign on on Saturdays, he said we are away next weekend but they said he has to be available for work. Yes, on Saturdays.

It's not capitalism. It is the opposite of capitalism because it is stifling natural market forces.

Theyre opening the Job Centres on Saturdays now?

Yes indeed. He was there this morning. It's scary.

Point taken, MKM. Not sure what I meant by that actually ; probably some sort of irony or sarcasm () as it seems to be some people's definition of it from reading the responses to these threads.

Bet the weekend staff are Workfare recruits

Perhaps you were thinking of tyranny IDNLF??

Half-serious

FUCK SHIT FUCKING HELL. So this is to heap even more misery on the unemployed. Open for an extra day to put even more pressure on the people whove lost their jobs through no fault of their own when this crisis wasnt even of their making. CHRIST ON A FUCKING BIKE.

Tyranny? Dunno. In, "The Women's Room", Val says that Capitalism is a game. The winners of the first round fix the game and the rules so that ultimately the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Sounds familiar especially where this is concerned.

But then I am a political simpleton.

Hurricane Apology accepted and I think 6 months might be the length of time you queried - not sure as not unemployed myself.

If I am forced into a shitty placement, I plan to sign off for 2 weeks, get a mate in Germany to say they have employed me for 2 weeks. Then the cycle starts again.... Better to lose £135 than work for 3 months unpaid!

When he started signing on the staff would tell him how their jobs were on the line if they didn't write the right thing down. I think he has to go on a training course on how to find a job soon. I wonder how much that's costing the taxpayer.

I have to say I agree with this boycott.
Until you have to go and sign on you cannot believe the treatment people receive in job centre's.
My husband is the nicest man you could ever hope to meet, has a huge amount of friends, over 100 recommendations on linkedin, generally been extremely well thought of in every role he has had over the past 20 years employment.
He went to sign on for JSA, as is his right and some busybody receptionist asked him to do something menial and he questioned why this was required in a pleasant enough tone. Next thing the "bouncer" comes over and starts intimidating DH and threatening to throw him out. He asks why this might happen and points out he will miss his appointment and is then asked to leave.
DH refuses and at this point his advisor comes over to call him for the appointment. Everything calms down and DH goes off to sign on.

The receptionist then calls after him, don't be so rude next time, trying to provoke DH into another confrontation.
I have up to that point always thought the JC have a difficult job to do and respected that but our experience was a real eye opener, they treat everyone like shit and then wonder why people kick off. Just a full explanation or a polite answer is too much trouble and humiliation seems to be order of the day.

Absolutely Heswall. I went in a couple of times last year and was talked to like I was a piece of dirt. Complete and utter disrespect. I know someone that worked in one recently and he said that all the younger workers have lost their jobs (contract work) and it's just the Old Guard that are left - and they are the worst of all the JSA workers, not interested in helping anyone, just in getting their wage at the end of the week.

Heswall - totally agree with you love. I sign on in London. Every worker at my local job centre apart from one man is completely unhelpful. I call them government whores! Lol at how security was called for your husband. I am on first term names with the security at my local job centre!!!

Maybe those that claim child benefit should be made to work unpaid for it. After all it is a benefit. I am childless at 41 with no intention of having kids. But I don't start a debate about all the years I have paid into the 'pot' like some of the posters do on here. And some of the shite I have read on here about long term unemployed getting their confidence back through Work Fare. Since being unemployed I have learnt a language to almost fluent standards, learnt the Indesign package, and studied PRINCE2. SO I THINK THAT IS MORE BENEFICIAL THAN STACKING SHELVES IN FUCKING POUNDLAND.

Boots are not part of Arcadia!

thecook i totally agree.

I have been kept off MN for hours - I was able to access sites like cake decorating sites, and boots, and other sites - but not MN, Facebook, Twitter CiF, ANY BBC site, my Email was not working, yet I could have ordered whatever I liked from fucking boots!!

Sorry. Needed to get that out.

This thread makes me so cross. Maybe those posters that agree with the WorkFare scheme should be made to work as a nanny for their child benefit. And clean shitty arses up!!!!!

Twinkle "Personally I think the benefits system is a joke, people should only be able to claim out of they system what they have paid in."

Seriously????

"If I am forced into a shitty placement, I plan to sign off for 2 weeks, get a mate in Germany to say they have employed me for 2 weeks. Then the cycle starts again.... Better to lose £135 than work for 3 months unpaid!"

That's fraud.

And actually I'm not sure you'll get away with it - I don't think the cycle just starts again after two weeks working.

"Since being unemployed I have learnt a language to almost fluent standards, learnt the Indesign package, and studied PRINCE2. SO I THINK THAT IS MORE BENEFICIAL THAN STACKING SHELVES IN FUCKING POUNDLAND.
"

That's great. But there are great swathes of people who do nothing - absolutely nothing - while unemployed and are left to rot. They start out with no motivation and doing nothing complete erodes their self-esteem. I know this for a fact.

Young people particular need quality intervention at the earliest stage. It doesn't sound like workfare is a quality programme but it is better than doing nothing at all.