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Boycott Workfare meeting in Kings Heath, 7th March

Boycott Workfare West Midlands | 12.02.2012 15:44 | Workfare | Workers' Movements | Birmingham

Poundland and Asda are just two of the high street names using unpaid labour sent on mandatory "work experience" placements from the job centre. These placements are full time, and can last for up to 6 months. Meanwhile, people are finding hours cut or paid jobs lost, as companies use people on workfare schemes for free.

In Kings Heath, we know that Poundland are using workfare labour, and we know from workers and ex-workers around Birmingham and the UK that people are losing jobs, or having hours cut because of this. Meanwhile, less than 1 in 5 people sent on workfare placements find a job within a year, and anecdotally the evidence is that workfare placements do not lead directly to jobs, and in many cases have provided no help, or been a hindrance to jobseekers finding work. In fact, the DWP itself say that workfare is not effective.

Workfare as a scheme does no good for anyone except the shareholders of the companies that get to have labour paid for by the taxpayer. It does not help claimants, it puts jobs - usually minimum wage jobs- at risk, and costs the taxpayer money.

Come to a public meeting in Kings Heath to discuss workfare, and campaiging to get Poundland to pull out of the scheme. Recently both Waterstones and Sainsbury's have said that they will no longer take part in the scheme - by putting pressure on high street names we can get them to withdraw and make this programme unworkable.

Wednesday 7th March
7pm-8pm
All Saints Centre, Kings Heath High Street

A further meeting will be held towards the end of March in Birmingham City Centre, which people outside of the south of Birmingham may prefer to attend. Boycott Workfare is supported locally by Birmingham Trades Council, Birmingham Against the Cuts and IWW West Midlands.

Boycott Workfare West Midlands
- e-mail: info@boycottworkare.org
- Homepage: www.boycottworkfare.org


Comments

Display the following 4 comments

  1. I totally agree — Dan Factor
  2. Surely Fair Trade — Apache
  3. The myth of fair trade and exploitation in the voluntary sector — bleedin obvious you bleedin heart liberals
  4. Indeed — Dan Factor

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