Boycott workfare in Sheffield

[TheGuy 10]

I'd love Bluedragonfly to end up in that situation.......soon. Imagine what fun they'll have splashing their £67.50 a week around (after paying for gas and electric, tv licence, food, clothing, basic pesonal needs); they can join the burgeoning utopia in the UK that is called unemployment. I'm not unemployed and I'm not reliant on benefits but I have been i the past and won't forget it. I hope everyone on this thread whos made a naff, ignorant comment about people on benefts, end up in the same situation........being hated for being poor

 

Were there violins playing in the background while you typed that?

 

Being unempleyed and claiming benefits in itself doesn't make one ""scum", it is those who choose it as a long term lifestyle that are scum, and in most cases it is fairly easy to distinguish between those that are the dole scum and those who are genuinly in-between-jobs.

[melthebell 863]

Free Slaves? Employers are not getting 'Free slaves' when they take on work placements because the placements are all recieving state benefit.

 

I think it's far better people be made to work for the state benefit (Jobseekers Allowance & Income Support) they recieve, than to be allowed to sit on their backsides all day doing nothing.

 

It's about time the UK Government made "WORK FOR DOLE" compulary! It's not a fair system that forces 'hard working people' to pay tax to keep some people unemployed.

another one blinded by "dole rage" and fails to see the irony of people on the dole taking full time, full paid jobs from somebody who couldve used it to get off the dole

 

Training does cost something. Someone has to be paid to train the new people. If they can also do their jobs as well as training new staff, then surely without the new staff these people are not required full time

no it doesnt, like i said i train new people at our place, they follow me around for a few days, watching, listening at what i do, showing them how to do things while im doing it, then letting them slowly do it.

im sure tescos can be the same, somebody watching you getting things from the warehouse, or stacking shelves, or stood beside you on the till

 

you dont think theyre taught in a classroom by a tutor then thrown in the deepend and made to do it properly without proper supervision.

[melthebell 863]

I don't recall calling anyone 'scum'.

 

i did

 

"dole scum"

 

tongue in cheek tho

[damo 10]

If the DWP turns round and tries to get me on this "scheme", I'll do what I did when I came off the Dole 14 years ago, I'll tell Job Centre Plus they can officially kiss my rear end and I'll carry on with my voluntary work, and if they threaten to take my benefits off me as a result, I'll see them in Court!

 

If you're on benefits which is supposedly not enough to survive on how would you intend on taking them to court? oh yes you'd expect the taxpayer to pay for it.

 

That's the problem with this country everyone expects everything for nothing!

[Squiggs 11]

If you're on benefits which is supposedly not enough to survive on how would you intend on taking them to court? oh yes you'd expect the taxpayer to pay for it.

 

That's the problem with this country everyone expects everything for nothing!

 

So you believe that the legal system and justice should only be open to those who can afford it?

[rapido 10]

I kind of broadly agree, but the only problem with that is, if you do a placement at a charity will you come out at the end with any skills which will actually make you employable?

 

If you are doing a job which would otherwise be a voluntary charity job then surely you would come out with experience that was only really relevant to voluntary charity jobs?

 

But how much better is being placed at a supermarket? Charity work encompasses a vast spectrum of skills. I learnt a lot about many aspects of benefits, consumer and debt law whilst working at the CAB. Many charities need volunteers working in their offices; this allows people to brush on or learn new IT skills and office practice. There is also fund raising, working in charity shops, cooking and serving meals, helping people with benefit and housing problems. The list is endless and is centered around all the major problems in society. There are plenty of very able unemployed people out there who don't have the confidence or knowledge of how to get into the work place. I bet there are loads of small businesses that would benefit from work placements and give valuable training and experience back the trainee.

 

The companies that have signed up for this programme are going to be ok whatever happens. Argos can always do a bit of price fixing again to keep their profits up

[rapido 10]

Were there violins playing in the background while you typed that?

 

Being unempleyed and claiming benefits in itself doesn't make one ""scum", it is those who choose it as a long term lifestyle that are scum, and in most cases it is fairly easy to distinguish between those that are the dole scum and those who are genuinly in-between-jobs.

 

No love .......wish there was an emoticon for the middle finger sticking up on it's own.

[SUPERDREAM 10]

OH MY GOD! Its such a shame about this, especially when we had it so good back in the eighties. Back then, I had to do 39 hours a week for £27.30. It was called YTS back then. Before that, it was called a YOP scheme, which was the same. You did a weeks work for no more money than unemployment benefit paid, and it was only for two years maximum, and you wernt guaranteed a job at the end of it. So if Tesco are being roasted for this, shouldnt we have roasted every single firm back in the YTS days? If anything, this is better as it seems to last up to six weeks, so thats 6 weeks work experience someone has got, which might, just might look better on their CV than "Sitting on my asre playing video games" would. Yes yes yes, Tesco are getting something for nothing, and us taxpayers are footing the bill, but we would be footing the bill ANYWAY for the proportion of workshy layabouts who use benefits as a lifestyle choice, rather than getting out there and doing something constructive. And to all the benefit claimants that do want to work, I cannot think of anything better than having a least some work experience in a sector that just keeps growing and growing, ie, the supermarket industry.

[Ned Ludd 10]

It's all very bad PR for Tesco, already infamous for their tax avoidance schemes they now have the taxpayer directly funding a proportion of their labour costs.

 

There is also currently nothing to be prevent the disabled and terminally ill (if their life expectancy exceeds 6 months) being 'returned to work' in this fashion.

This government scheme is also set to be expanded so that the 6 month time limit will be removed.

 

Still it's a price worth paying to help eke out the meagre existence of Emma Harrison and her ilk.

[Orphee 10]

Grayling defends under-fire work experience scheme

 

 

 

Critics of supermarket placements are ‘job snobs’ says minister

 

A lovely bit of spin there. And still complete b*ll*cks. Nobody is criticising the nature of the job, it's the fact that a company is refusing to pay a living wage and exploiting somebody who is already in a vulnerable situation.

[Amaranthus 10]

I have had a reply from one of the emails I sent to the CEO of various corporations participating in the workfare scheme:

 

Dear (shaz112)

 

Thank you for your e-mail dated 19th February 2012.

 

We understand people are concerned about recent reports concerning the Government’s work experience programmes. Argos employs around 27,000 people, of which around 50% are under 25, straight from school, college and university and go on to have great careers within our business.

 

We are very passionate about giving young people real opportunities to improve their employability and have worked over a number of years with job centres throughout the country on a range of programmes, but always with the objective of creating a meaningful role within Argos.

 

We are in discussion with the Department of Work and Pensions to ensure the scheme is voluntary, meeting the work experience needs of the individual, and will keep this dialogue going to ensure no one is disadvantaged by working on this programme.

 

Please rest assured we take the rights of individuals very seriously and are very keen to ensure we to play our role in getting Britain moving.

 

Kind regards

 

Melissa Flatley

Director's Office

 

Well at least they appear to be taking notice of complaints. It will be interesting to see their next move when the programme remains mandatory.

[monkey69 10]

yep they will be a lot of back tracking now, thoses leaked job vacancies did a lot of damage for the goverment