to think that this is economically stupid. Tories to announce full and permanent WORKFARE.

[Darkesteyes]

next week according to the Mail.
So how is anybody going to afford to buy anything while working for benefits then.
Even less incentive for companies to take people in proper employment if the workfare workforce is going to increase.

twitter.com/SkyNews/status/383342225926524928/photo/1

Makes my job chances slightly more depressing than they already are.

Fanfuckingtastic. Only job I am qualified to do that will fit in with my partners crazy work hours is retail. Hell its the only job i know how to do. As I've been out of work for 2 years already (had DS got made redundant) I have even less chance of getting a job now. Because why pay someone like me minimum wage or more when you can pay slaves nothing?

So fucking pissed off. Even more so because thanks to the Tories shake up of the benefit system and getting people into the world employment there is now more even more people and even less jobs. Well done guys. You've really surpassed yourselves with this one.

Workfare is evil.

If there is a job available, pay people the NMW and give them employment rights. Workfare is just free labour for companies who do not go on to offer permanent jobs (why would they, when they have an endless turnover of free labour and they get paid by the government for it?)

YANBU in the slightest. You have to remember that these tossers have, almost to a man, never had a proper job, and have never been poor. Their policies are going to make everybody who isn't already rich poorer, just like the USA.

But, it's great for their corporate overlords, they get free labour and we pay for it. Once again we see capitalism for the poor and socialism for the rich. Isn't neoliberalism wonderful? Actually, it's financial terrorism. We are being robbed.

WTF happened to the minimum wage?

How the hell are people going to get paying jobs when you can get staff for nothing?

And to think, we all thought Thatcher was bad.

Community service, because being unemployed (6 months for 'older' workers? Do they realise how hard it is for a lot of over-50s who are made redundant to get another job?) is now a crime.

Totally agree Terry Inertia and Nic. In fact Nic has hit the nail on the head. It is a version of the US model.

BASTARDS.

Great. So those of us in employment get to pay our taxes directly into the pockets of the large corporations who now won't need to bother with creating any jobs for those of us who are unemployed because they can get it for free.

So 99% of the country will be worse off, but the very rich will be wetting themselves laughing at getting even more from a population stupid enough to be manipulated by whipping up envy and resentment of anyone on benefits?

YY expat Unemployed people are expected to do longer stints of it than people who actually commit a crime!!!!!!

This is so depressing. Not surprising, we have a Tory government after all. But terribly depressing nonetheless.

All this "acting tough on welfare" is all very well, but the jobs just aren't out there. And if people are forced to work for nothing, I can't see that situation improving. :(

Excepting some cities such as NYC and LA, most of the US has a far, far lower cost of living than here, a strong and entrenched history of charity and volunteering, way more space and much different tenancy laws.

Jesus.

They really are cunts. I feel so defeated. There's basically no fucking hope.

One of the worst things about Workfare is how many "strivers", to borrow Dave's terminology, agree with this.

Tax-payers will be paying for the slave-wages of people on Workfare anyway, via JSA, but the profits will go to big business. If there is a job available, Tesco, pay a wage and let the employee pay tax.

The job market will shrink even further than it already has. I've spoken to former pupils (have lived in the same town all my life) who really were University material, graduated and are now on Workfare. It's shameful.

How long till the next election?

Fuck the election. Write to your MPs, boycott the shops and businesses that use Workfare and ask EVERY time you buy something or use a service, "do you use Workfare staff?". What else can be done?

Sorry buss that sounded rude to you. I just meant, don't wait until then.

That's okay MrsTerry - you're absolutely right.
We should boycott shops and businesses that use workfare.

I remember another Mner posting about how a couple of years ago their local tesco had no xmas temp jobs because they were using workfare. Last year Argos and Shoe Zone did it Xmas temp jobs and retail jobs are going to end up being a thing of the past

I see criminal offenders in my town doing things for the community every week or so.

But apparently just being unemployed in a time of economic crisis is considered to be a crime worthy of free labour these days.

We are going backwards.

If full time hours are available for workfare then they should also be available for an unemployed person who wants full time work so they can come off benefit

My 18 year old DN is applying for retail work at the mo. Shes taken her CV everywhere , applied online and cant get anything despite having some experience.
Shes just started signing on and they have put her on Universal Jobmatch Will be interesting if a "work placement" in retail suddenly pops up in one of the places shes already applied to.

I think they might find it's illegal. As said up thread MINIUM WAGE

Any conglomerate who buys into workfare should be boycotted.

I dont think im going to be doing much Christmas shopping this year.