Workfare - Long-term jobless 'made to work'

[INTERVIEWER]

So why did it all change then?

 

Because the Job Centre can no longer find three jobs for each of the unemployed.

[harvey19]

This is what I suspected. 'Putting some routine' into the lives of the unemployed, for a short, temporary period of time, is more about making Tories feel good about themselves than actually increasing the employability of the poor.

 

Similar workfare schemes around the world have shown that they fail to help people gain sustainable, qualitative employment. In Australia, workfare has left unemployed people less likely to get a job, as their confidence has been eroded and they have ended up much more demoralised than before. In New York existing low paid workers have lost their jobs to workfare temps.

 

And as for gaining a useful reference, what employer would want to recruit someone who has been forced into their last job?

 

By putting routine in their lives and having tried a different lifestyle it may encourage them to change their present lifestyle and seek permanent employment. The refernce will at least show they can be punctual, polite, helpfull and willing.

[natjack]

And as for gaining a useful reference, what employer would want to recruit someone who has been forced into their last job?

Not many, but some employers will take those sort of people. There's someone on here who never worked from leaving school and took his first proper job when he was in his 30s. I seem to think he was more or less forced into taking the work, but he's still doing it. He's posted about it a couple of times. So it can work if you're motivated enough.

[INTERVIEWER]

Each unemployed non-volunteer forced onto the Tory/Lib Dem 'Work' programme (manual labour for dole money) should carefully state, at each and every opportunity:

 

"I am not a volunteer. I only participate under duress, under the threat of being reduced to a state of absolute poverty. I do not have any respect for, or loyalty to, any organisation or company that seeks to exploit my economic weakness by forcing me into manual labour."

[harvey19]

Each unemployed non-volunteer forced onto the Tory/Lib Dem 'Work' programme (manual labour for dole money) should carefully state, at each and every opportunity:

 

"I am not a volunteer. I only participate under duress, under the threat of being reduced to a state of absolute poverty. I do not have any respect for, or loyalty to, any organisation or company that seeks to exploit my economic weakness by forcing me into manual labour."

 

Do you think by taking this attitude you are helping an unemployed person obtain work.

View this scheme as an opportunity to attempt to better ones lot.

What has any unemployed person to lose by it ?

[INTERVIEWER]

What has any unemployed person to lose by it ?

 

Any self respect, confidence and motivation to work that they may still possess.

[harvey19]

Any self respect, confidence and motivation to work that they may still possess.

 

I think with a positive attitude it will give them self respect, confidence and motivation to strive for a better life than living on benefits.

[espadrille]

I think with a positive attitude it will give them self respect, confidence and motivation to strive for a better life than living on benefits.

 

harvey

 

I dont think that he is going to listen or take on board anything that has been said.

Sometimes you have to accept that you are flogging a dead horse.

Its actually quite draining I find..

[flamingjimmy]

I voted yes but have since been convinced otherwise from reading the thread. The poll was misleading.

[mossdog]

Each unemployed non-volunteer forced onto the Tory/Lib Dem 'Work' programme (manual labour for dole money) should carefully state, at each and every opportunity:

 

"I am not a volunteer. I only participate under duress, under the threat of being reduced to a state of absolute poverty. I do not have any respect for, or loyalty to, any organisation or company that seeks to exploit my economic weakness by forcing me into manual labour."

As long as they DO participate,duress or no duress!....Whilst agreeing that being jobless is not desirable for some,it has become a state of being for others.However ,the age of affording benefits across the board is surely coming to an end,and it seems perfectly reasonable that if you want money,somehow or other you have to work for it,whether it is classed as a benefit or not.It is no use looking over your shoulder at how things used to be,that's all changing now and people either in jobs or unemployed are going to have to compete much harder for money in the new Britain!

The sooner people can get their heads round it ,the less duress they may have to suffer!............but we are all going to suffer some!