Boycott Workfare meeting in Kings Heath, 7th March

Boycott Workfare West Midlands | 12.02.2012 15:44 | Workfare | Workers' Movements | Birmingham

Poundland and Asda are just two of the high street names using unpaid labour sent on mandatory "work experience" placements from the job centre. These placements are full time, and can last for up to 6 months. Meanwhile, people are finding hours cut or paid jobs lost, as companies use people on workfare schemes for free.

In Kings Heath, we know that Poundland are using workfare labour, and we know from workers and ex-workers around Birmingham and the UK that people are losing jobs, or having hours cut because of this. Meanwhile, less than 1 in 5 people sent on workfare placements find a job within a year, and anecdotally the evidence is that workfare placements do not lead directly to jobs, and in many cases have provided no help, or been a hindrance to jobseekers finding work. In fact, the DWP itself say that workfare is not effective.

Workfare as a scheme does no good for anyone except the shareholders of the companies that get to have labour paid for by the taxpayer. It does not help claimants, it puts jobs - usually minimum wage jobs- at risk, and costs the taxpayer money.

Come to a public meeting in Kings Heath to discuss workfare, and campaiging to get Poundland to pull out of the scheme. Recently both Waterstones and Sainsbury's have said that they will no longer take part in the scheme - by putting pressure on high street names we can get them to withdraw and make this programme unworkable.

Wednesday 7th March
7pm-8pm
All Saints Centre, Kings Heath High Street

A further meeting will be held towards the end of March in Birmingham City Centre, which people outside of the south of Birmingham may prefer to attend. Boycott Workfare is supported locally by Birmingham Trades Council, Birmingham Against the Cuts and IWW West Midlands.

Boycott Workfare West Midlands
e-mail: info@boycottworkare.org
Homepage: www.boycottworkfare.org

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

I totally agree

12.02.2012 17:17

I totally agree. It's disgraceful companies are getting workers for free who have been forced to work for them under threat of losing the pittance of benefit they get every two weeks.
This is the new version of forced labour!

I do wonder though if it's partly because the stores using Workfare (supermarkets, pound shops etc) are not excactly well liked amongst middle class liberals that's one of the reasons why middle class liberals are attacking them for using workfare. I wonder if they would have such a problem if it was organic swanky "fair trade" shops using workfare.

Dan Factor

Surely Fair Trade

12.02.2012 21:35

establishments wouldn't use workfare, so those middle classes you appear to dislike won't have the dilemma you mention ?

Apache

The myth of fair trade and exploitation in the voluntary sector

13.02.2012 09:05

Fair trade is an oxymoron, there's no such thing. The terms of trade may have changed a little but the main profit margins stay in the same hands.

In terms of exploitation, it doesn't seem to matter if the business is fair trade, a charity, a social enterprise or an NGO. Bosses exploit workers whatever their PR setup, or their claims that their somehow more ethical. In fact the voluntary sector is full of over worked, precarious muppets slaving away for management. Don't believe the hype there's a hellva lot of union organising to do here.

bleedin obvious you bleedin heart liberals

Indeed

13.02.2012 12:37

Yes exploitation of workers goes on regardless of what kind of company is involved (profit driven, voluntary etc). Often this is overlooked by some.

In America Wal-Mart has rightly come under fire from liberals/trade union activists for it's anti-union practices and exploitation of it's employess (piss poor wages, bad hours/conditions). However some of those who have been attacking Wal-Mart for this reason have ignored another store who's treatment of it's employees is just as shoddy, Whole Foods. Why? Because as opposed to Wal-Mart it sells expensive organic/fair trade foods. Hypocrisy...yes!