According to the charity, 20,ooo people unemployed people have been forced to work digging ditches and other physical tasks without pay since 1980 (1). The charity even boast about their relationship with the DWP on their website (2) along with their use of Mandatory Work Activity (MWA).

Mandatory Work Activity is four weeks full time work used as punishment for unemployed people judged not trying hard enough to find work by Jobcentre officials. CTV claims these people are ‘volunteers’ and they are providing a ‘route into paid employment’. The evidence shows however that this scheme is useless at actually helping people get a job (3).

Claimants can only be sentenced to Mandatory Work Activity, it is not possible to volunteer for the scheme.

All those in the green movement who are committed to both environmental sustainability and social justice should immediately boycott these fake fluffy bastards. And tell them what you think on twitter @tcvtweets and facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/TheConservationVolunteers

With workfare for sick and disabled claimants to begin on December 3rd (4) – International Disabled People’s Day – many have wondered where all these new placements are set to come from. The Conservation Volunteers may well be one of the largest users of unpaid forced labour in the UK. Make it cost them.

(1)  http://www.tcv.org.uk/sites/default/files/tcv-dwp-statement.pdf
(2)  http://www.tcv.org.uk/
(3)  http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/13/mandatory-work-scheme-government-research
(4)  http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/sick-and-disabled-claimants-now-to-be-sent-on-workfare-by-the-same-charities-who-claim-to-support-them/