Workfare protest outside city centre store
A small protest took place outside WH Smith in Bath on Saturday as a group of demonstrators vented their anger over a controversial Government employment scheme.
WH Smith is just one of a number of employers nationwide said to have signed up to a work experience scheme for the unemployed, dubbed Workfare by critics.
-
The protesters outside WH Smith in Bath
Critics of the scheme say it means unemployed people are in effect working for free with few actually ever being offered a job.
The two-hour protest brought together activists from a range of organisations including the Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance and the Black and Red Federation (B.A.R.F) who handed out leaflets outside the Union Street store and talked to shoppers about their opposition to the scheme.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, June 30 2013
The protest had originally been planned to take place outside Holland & Barrett in Stall Street but was moved after the health food retailer pulled out of the scheme.
Protester Steve Jones said the scheme doesn't offer real training but sees participants doing retail jobs for free.
“They say it is to get people back into work and to give them experience but all the jobs they send people to are just retail work," he said.
“It gets employers used to the idea of people working for no pay.
“I think it will have the opposite effect of increasing confidence, and give people low self-esteem and confidence because they are working without pay.”
Fellow protester Jon Timbrell said he believed the scheme actually cost people jobs.
“I wanted to protest against the Workfare scheme,” he said.
“We are all in favour of training, everyone wants a decent job and to get training but the question is ‘Does this programme deliver it?’ "It is just a source of free labour and employers are saying 'Why bother to employ someone on a full time contract or pay overtime when there is free labour?'.”
A banner, saying ‘Workfare is slavery’ with a picture of shackles underneath, was held up by protesters.
Mike Tynan from London said he stopped to take a leaflet off protesters because he supported their action.
He said: I am a trades union representative at my work and my company is trying to bring in unpaid workers into the workplace.
“Anything below minimum wage is in my view unsavoury. Yes, people need work experience and people need to be in work but a full time job being done by someone on Jobseeker’s is completely unfair.”
The scheme means people receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance are asked to take part in the work experience scheme for up to six months. Waterstones, TK Maxx and Sainsbury’s have already pulled out of the scheme, with Tesco saying it would offer a job at the end of a successful four-week placement.
Employment minister Chris Grayling has criticised such protests: "It is a disgrace that anyone should seek to target a company that is trying to help young unemployed people in this way.
"The people involved in these protests have absolutely no idea of the damage they're doing to the job prospects of the next generation. I'm determined to stand up firmly against these protesters; what they're doing is totally unacceptable."
Comments
by sittingstone
Monday, July 23 2012, 2:07PM
“you believe what you like - i prefer a bit more transparancy to what the ONS and OBS and whatever else provides the markets and a financialised economy with its numbers to chew.
for those not in that city game whether they be a builder or a waiter the squeeze is relentless as they 'generate the gdp'.”
by janeygirlyes
Saturday, July 21 2012, 11:00PM
“So the unemployment figures are wrong then Sitting ?”
by sittingstone
Saturday, July 21 2012, 10:52AM
“the "figures" are just that janey - figures!
you've heard of lies, damned lies and statistics.
they are just what the markets can stand - including ideological markets.”
by janeygirlyes
Thursday, July 19 2012, 6:46PM
“Moe- How does paying someone to sit at home all day make that person more employable and reduce unemployment ?
Start living in the real world Moe.”
by janeygirlyes
Thursday, July 19 2012, 6:38PM
“Moe looks likes unemployments down again by 65,000 this time - keep trying Moe - you might actually win one argument.”
by MoeXXX
Sunday, July 15 2012, 8:35PM
“Explain the maths to me then Janey. How does unemployment reduce if the government pays for someone to occupy a job that would otherwise be paid?
Simple arithmetic; simple question. No need to **** off any protesters or invoke octopuses. No need to debate each other's mental ages; just give me the answer.”
by janeygirlyes
Sunday, July 15 2012, 3:50PM
“What strikes me about someone losing an argument is when no one turns up for a show piece protest.”
by janeygirlyes
Sunday, July 15 2012, 3:47PM
“Obviously Moe you must have a mental aga of five, because you cant seem to do the maths.
Ask A six year old Im sure they could help you out Moe.”
by rogerh3
Saturday, July 14 2012, 11:03PM
“Roger, you are aware that it was Labour that awarded the contract to G4S aren't you? And thst former Labour Minister John Reid is a Director of the company...?"
So what? Not everybody sees the world in your simplistic left v right terms. I'm as happy to criticise Labour as any other party for contracting out public services. It's been shown to be flawed whichever government implements it, not least when it involves the odious John Reid.
.”
by MoeXXX
Saturday, July 14 2012, 10:42PM
“@Janey - I have no idea who octopus man is, what he does in his spare time, or why he chooses to wear a cephalopod on his head. And I really,really don't care. Your post just struck me as a good example of someone losing an argument.”