The Welfare to Work conference was yesterday at the Business Design Centre in Islington. London Coalition Against Poverty (LCAP) paid for 3 tickets to attend the event but were refused entrance. So much for including people who are affected by this draconian measure. So much for civil liberties too:
Conference staff justified their decision to exclude all three LCAP delegates from debate by saying that LCAP had previously organised protests against welfare reforms, and that one of them was arrested whilst taking part in a protest. Disclosure of this arrest history was inappropriately shared with the conference organisers and other delegates by a Sergeant of the Metropolitan Police (NI 92), in direct contravention to the Data Protection Act. Campaigners are concerned that this threatens legitimate democratic rights of protest and public debate about welfare reforms.
I found the protest organised by Boycott Workfare had a novel way of exposing the sheer exploitation of Workfare by dressing up as a chain gang holding up pieces of paper with corporate and public sector names printed on such as ”Prisoner of Matalan”, “Prisoner of Tower Hamlets Council”. Workfare is punishment for being unemployment. It is not about choice of employment it’s about coercion. It’s sheer exploitation. I was shocked to hear that Tower Hamlets Council and Whittington Hospital are using people who have been coerced to undertake “work placements” that are now up to two years, if they don’t comply then they will lose their benefits.
So, put simply, why would an average boss pay someone qualified the going rate for a job when they can get them for free via a Workfare scheme or, euphemistically, known as a “work placement”? Saves them money and/or increases the profits! It’s not about gaining experience, knowledge or skills but about being exploited. Workfare is punitive and draconian. But with the current climate expect to see more of the public and private taking on people who can be exploited as the claimant as no other choice but to take it or lose their meagre benefit. Coupled with the demonisation, criminalisation and vilification of claimants from the media it’s gonna be a very nasty and brutal time for all.
Workfare doesn’t just impact on claimants but on ALL workers as it deskills, devalues, drives down pay and conditions. And this is where trade unions ought to be, at the forefront of fighting Workfare. And what the hell does Unison think regards to Whittington Hospital and Newham Council taking on “work placements”?
See as well this useful article.
