Never Trust A Hippy – The Green Charity With 20,000 Workfare Slaves

riotact | 30.11.2012 19:05 | Ecology | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements

The Conservation Trust for Volunteers (formally BCTV) have been exposed as one of the largest exploiters of unpaid labour.

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/

riotact
Homepage: https://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/

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My experience

30.11.2012 19:51

About 3 years ago, the dole sent me to BTCV as they were supposed to link up unemployed people with voluntary work (they had a DWP contract to do this).

First they suggested I do out-door work with them. I said I'd like to do some accounts work, as I have a background in that. They offered me some volunatary work in their offices. I said there were other charities I'd rather help out. I gave them the names of a couple of local charities whose work I liked and I'd be happy to work for. They said they'd look into it and get back to me.

They then came back to me and said those charities didn't need anyone, so would I like to volunteer for BTCV. I said no.

I then came across a flier for one of the charities that I had told them about. Amongst other things, the flier advertised for volunteers. It named specific areas of work, including accounts. I got in touch with the accounts manager at the charity, who was really pleased to have a volunteer to help with her massive work-load. I started volunteering (one day a week) the next week.

In my opinion BTCV (or whatever they're called now) are scum-bags.

now working - despite BTCV

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dickins

01.12.2012 01:10

Yep were back the poor working for dole hand out by our political mastrrs

oldboy