To be purple with rage over workfare

[HoneyandHaycorns]

Sorry, I know there are loads of related threads on here, but I am getting really, really really upset and angry about the fucking workfare programme. It's an absolute outrage that my taxes are funding slave labour to line the pockets of huge tax-avoiding corporations, while the most vulnerable in our society are having their lifelines snatched away from them one by one.

I want to voice my protest, but apart from writing to my MP (which I have done) what is the best way of fighting this crap?

I simply can't believe that anyone in a civilised society could possibly think this was a good idea. Why on earth would a private company ever create any new jobs if they can have government-funded slave labour for free?

Will someone please come and tell me why the fuck anybody other than the boss of tescos would conceivably think this was a good idea?

And if you can't tell me why it is a good idea, please tell me the best way to protest.

tesco forced to close due to protest

Katie Hopkins has no morals FACT, caught shagging in a field with a married man eeewwww. when she was on the apprentice she only went on for the fame. When she got through to the final, she admitted live that she had no intention of taking the job if she won because get this "SHE WOULD HAVE NO CHILDCARE BECAUSE HER PARENTS PROVIDED FREE CHILDCARE SO SHE COULDN'T MOVE AWAY FROM THEM"

She is nothing but a hypocrite.

I so hope this is the start of it becoming a national scandaal. I keep seeing more references to it around the place, so we can only hope.

Ive just listened to myself on last nights show. I caused radio silence. I am disgusted with Seetec and JC for sanctioning that guy because his partner and a miscarriage. Cruelty is not a strong enough word for it.

Can i just say thankyou to all you lovely people on here who supported me last night before during and after i phoned in to them. Thankyou everyone.

On page five of this thread i mentioned the British Heart Foundation. And now today this has gone up on the Boycott Workfare site.

www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=584#more-584

I honestly can see nothing wrong with long-term jsa recipients working for a charity if they are unable to find work. When I say jsa recipients I mean people who are able to work, not those who are forced off disability benefits or carers, this is an entirely different issue.

Those who are ABLE to work and there are plenty of those and whose who are long-term unemployed should be stopped sitting at home.

Charity is one thing, big business quite another. And certainly nobody's job should be taken from them by workfare, which has happened before and realistically is going to do so again.

As for stopping people sitting at home, there may come a point when we simply have more people who are able to work (and I mean really able to work, not Atos certified) than there are jobs that can usefully be done. Logically, this will require either the rationing of work or the acceptance that some will not be engaged in useful labour. I can foresee big problems with getting people to accept either of these solutions, either in principle or practice.

It going to bring the work force down because if Tescos etc are getting free labour they won't choose staff that can be paid.

Long term result is that there will be more homeless, rioting in the street, a massive social divide, despondency and co- dependence on 'easy refuge' such alcoholism, fast food, smoking drugs and after years of suffering there'll be a revolution all so that a select few people who were born into fortunate circumstances can holiday in Saint Tropez and fuck around in deck shoes and khaki trousers.

Murderous bastards ruining our quality of life, in 'call me dave's next life he will be born with nothing and have to reap what he sews

Hard times by Dickens comes to mind
a working class hero is something to be Marianne faithful
Bob Dylan masters of war are so poignant right now, good news for creativity BAD news for moral and health.

rant over

why I do not get your post... I was born with nothing, moved into this country as an immigrant at 21 having no money at all and made a great career and good life for myself. What are you talking about? You truly do not understand how the world functions outside UK borders and what 'struggling' and 'opportunity' really means for 90% of the world population.

There are problems here, but benefit dependency is part of the problem, not the solution.

Just bumping this as the tesco thread is full. They are about to discuss workfare on 10 o clock Live now.

I dont mean that I just hate the way they are using such a blunt tool to deal with EVERYONE on benefits without taking serious mental health issues in to consideration
People will end up in mental hospitals costing the tax payer more than the benefits that are being stolen from innocent people like my dear mother

If Cameron went back to Youth Opportunities (for those under 21 with NO experience), Community Enterprise Programme (for over 21 long-term unemployed who have experience), and Enterprise Allowance Scheme (for those long-term unemployed who want/have the ability to become self-employed), this situation would not be happening.

We had a waiting list for CEP, when I worked in a local Job-centre. Those on it got a little more than their benefits, and often wanted their time on it extended (how's that for increasing morale, and filling in a gap on a CV?), and it benefited the community (Big Society idea), not a greedy, profit-making company.

YOPs was not as popular, but whoever heard of a willing teenager? It did get some on a good path.

EAS was ideal for the budding entrepreneurs, giving low-level financial support, and advice, and a chance many poor people might never otherwise have had (and it's not as if budget commercial property should not be available right now, with so many places closing down! The landlords/councils should cut their costs, to help the situation, and get some rent/tax, rather than none!).

I don't believe in treating an experienced, mature person with such dis-respect, they have earned more!

I do believe in getting youths into the job-market, for which they need RELEVANT training and experience.

I do believe this is the time for new businesses to emerge.

I also believe that ONLY qualified doctors should be doing these assessments for sick people, it's an insult to the professionals to have ATOS interfering in such an important, and sometimes life-threatening situation!

You are only turning purple?

Search for 'boycott workfare' on Google etc. and that will lead any 'job snob' or 'socialist worker's party' extremist like yourself and myself (according to Grayling) to the right sites! ;O)

Make no mistake 'workfare' seriously sucks as you say... and all of the schemes have mandatory elements (fact) for JSA. The least mandatory is 'work experience' which is 8 weeks unpaid and supposedly entirely voluntary but you lose at least two weeks JSA for leaving after the first week etc. The most mandatory is 'mandatory work activity' which loses you 13 weeks JSA if you don't do it, and although supposedly for community good is allowed to be for 'provider profits'!!!

Generally they are...

1. Against human rights 'forced labour' laws
2. Against minimum wage laws (the DWP in the past few days changed a document online which did mention what JSA advisers were to say to 'avoid minimum wage' legislation!!!)
3. Use tax payers money to supply private companies with free labour.
4. Make a nonsense of volunteering at a charity as they are not voluntary (Oxfam and others have pulled out already for obvious reasons).
5. Open to a great deal of abuse by private companies being paid for results in getting people placed... watch the A4e fiasco unravel... and what about the other providers?
6. Most likely to place disabled, sick and ethnic minority people (the DWP call them 'customers'! Nice touch eh?! The DWP know this as they were given a study for example on 'mandatory work activity' thus...

Mandatory WorkActivity ? Equality
Impact Assessment Employment Group March 2011

'33. The table below shows that a higher proportion of disabled customers are in the Mandatory Work Activity proxy group compared with the proportion of disabled customers making a new claim for Jobseeker?s Allowance.'

1. The politicians... well, you think they are telling the truth about it?!!!!!
2. The government have already told the police to come down hard on the protests next Saturday March 3rd according to the Daily Mail.

There are lots of documents online, and lots of people from community solicitors, to charities, to socialists to capitalists very upset about the whole thing trying to stop it, and so far succeeding remarkably well, as companies don't want to be seen to be absolute ..........

So I agree, and I think it all stinks... and it's looking suspiciously corrupt from the fat cat point of view (yet again).

Just boycott the places that support it, and email them to tell them, and tell them that you aren't a job snob or an extreme socialist anarchist (unless you are of course). It does work... I have been contacted by some top people... this is very serious stuff socially.

It might not affect you now, but what if you lose your job, or your health goes. If you got breast cancer, and were told you had maybe a year to live (longer than six months)... would you appreciate being told you had to work for nothing?

Check out the DWP documents (people are checking they don't change overnight now!) and the laws that were changed back last year to get this stuff through... and the people coming forward now with their experiences, its a frightening direction for the UK to be headed.

Let's be careful out there.

Oh you lot just HAVE to read this

Mumsnet has been mentioned.

Yeah! Apparently we're all stooges for justine's husband!

molepom someone has also linked this very thread "to be purple with rage over workfare" to a comment theyve put on twitter so more people will be noticing this thread too.

Love the way IDS says mumsnet has has been infiltrated when most members have been using it for YEARS.

Ooh, someone has linked my thread to something on twitter?

lol...It's just more proof that IDS is out of touch and just hasn't got a clue about anything he comments on.

Who is Justine's husband anyway? Why on earth was he mentioned in the first place?

I think he might have a blog or something

I think he's deputy editor of the guardian. So obviously, that makes all of us militant lefties. Or something.

Yes Honey Someone called Murray Robertson put up the link.
Well done Hon xx

I Murray Robertson (whoever he is).

Don't really "get" twitter if I'm honest though.

Oh, and if you're going to call me "hon", should really use the nethuns spelling.