Slave labour?

What do we think about this carry on with the work placement schemes?

BBC News - Ministers drop work experience scheme sanctions

For those that have missed this story line, it goes something like this. The government negotiated a scheme with various businesses whereby unemployed young people could go and work for a while, to gain experience and get into the work routine. They don't get paid a wage, but they continue to claim their benefits plus expenses. If I understand correctly, it is not mandatory, so the claimants choose whether or not to bother. Yet, lots of people are protesting about it calling it slave labour.

My immediate reaction is that the scheme is a good thing. I understand that many (most?) claimants are genuinely looking for work and trying very hard, so if they are just getting nowhere, is this not a good thing so that they can demonstrate to prospective employers that they want to work and are capable of doing the job? If someone has been claiming benefits for a while, should they not be given as much opportunity as possible to get into a routine?

On the other hand though, I can see how companies might be tempted to use these people as low cost labour, simply letting them go at the end of the placement and then going back to the jobcentre and asking for a new one.

If it was a forced thing, I could sort of understand the rumblings, but I think its voluntary, and yet there are protests. Doesn't that mean that the protesters just don't want people to have a choice?

 

I received my current job via this scheme just before Christmas although I chose to apply for the placement rather than being forced into it under the understanding that I could go tell them to swivel if it wasn't for me

I did unpaid work 10am -4pm 5 days a week for two weeks and then I was offered a job as I was told that I was a huge improvement on the temps they had working there and that they didn't won't to loose me.

which at the time I was quite pleased about however now I see that when they already have very low hours at this time of year and then they also have unpaid workers I won't get a call if they suddenly get busy and they need someone in to help as the unpaid workers are already there :( which means i loose out on something which would usually really boost my hours

 

I cant prove this as true but it was a conversation with a manager at a certain supermarket store.
A new store just opened up 4 mile away,but instead of employing a complete set of new workers,50% where transferred from the original store and the remainder was made up of part timers and job center workers who where just replaced every 8 weeks in both stores.
So new jobs where created,and the share holders are clapping their hands,permanent staff are scared of losing their jobs and wont speak out but are not happy.

 

What experience do kids actually get from working at Argos, Asda, or whatever store they're sent to for 2 weeks?

I'm guessing they're given the runt of the jobs available, and pretty much just used for their duration there to do all the jobs long-serving staff simply don't want to do.

They should put them on courses, spanning the 2 weeks, so 10 days where they actually learn something which might leave them in good stead for the future, be it a trade (could be made longer than 2 weeks), put them on a security badge course, so they can apply to do security work (I actually have my badge, which took 3 days to attain), or let them do NVQs for roles which they could then apply for and actually stand a chance.

Tories...

 

I can't say which as my contract doesn't allow it but at least one of those won't get you to do the jobs the other staff don't want to do, you will be treated just like any other member of staff (except your not being paid) they will teach you how a shop actually works behind the scenes, they will teach you to interact with customers and also about laws regarding the sale of items and also about manual handling and health and safety, you will also be given the opportunity to work in many different parts of the store (the only constraint is what you can do without actually being employed, like handling money) you will also get to experience a real work environment which is something many young people may not have done before (i progressed from school to my first year of uni without ever needing a job)

I found that you basically get back whatever you put into it and it helps if your a generally inquisitive person

I do believe that overall the scheme is a good idea however it needs molding and re-jigging to be better and that some companies should not be allowed to join, Poundland for example they have a huge turn over of staff and could probably quite easily run almost full time on unpaid workers without any extra hassle

 

My opinion is you must go out and do what you are told, IF you want benefit, no options EVERYONE
Fife has 16000 unemployed, but 800 vegetable farm vacancies ?

Just because you WERE an electronics engineeror a Manager in your previous employment does not mean you are incapable of picking vegetables for your pay take it or lose your benefit
If that was the case you would soon find there were NO jobs available

I can see exploitaion with companies getting free labour, but this should be stamped on by the authorities, job training should be over and above the normal complement to run your business, not to replace employing the number of staff you need

Benefits should not exceed £10k per year tax free (the average labourers take home pay, from which he has to pay transport to and from work, and their meals away from home) I then top up his wage by £2k a year out of which they have to pay for their medical prescriptions and dental care, school meals,school clothing

Yet I also give someone who has never worked, nor even been in THIS COUNTRY more than one week £28k tax free per year, on top of free housing free school meals, free prescriptions and school clothing

Anyone who has been honest and saved for a rainy day or enhanced pension has just ended up a lot worse off
£40k Lump sum pension, would you get £120 per week interest ? NO
though that is what you would get in benefits if you did not have it

Not quite easy to get it if you have ever worked though, as you would have to suffer 12 months peniless, before you qualified
I often wonder IF I went to an EU or A8 Country if they would give me the same ? Hell no I doubt they would even offer me a free interpretor at £84 a call every time I phoned up to ask how much I was getting this week
The same as last week sir and every other week you ask on the same day as it says on your award kerching :-(

Roll on April

Jack McH

 

yes I am in favour of the scheme which provides valuable real work experience and whatever is involved in a day to day going to work that is is so much more than the work itself.

all around experience is always useful, and so is to meet workers in different settings to understand the way they think. if you go straight from uni into your dream high pay job you are in fact providing a somehow limited service.


oh yes 15 days are plenty to have a good idea of what a job involves and give you a feeling for likes and dislikes.

 

They learn loads of things. How about:
* The art of getting out of bed in the morning and actually going to do something.
* How to get along with others, realising the importance of being part of a team.
* Being 'humble'. Life isn't served to us on a plate, we have to work for things we want. Sometimes we are not it after all.

Once you convince someone they can get things if they work for it, then you don't have to put them on a course, because they'll put themselves on it if thats what they want. I believe most colleges still make concessions for people who can't afford the course fees, and in cases where you really want to be on a course that you can't afford, if you want it badly enough you'll go and work in whatever job you can get in order to save up to pay for it. Simply sending people on courses doesn't work. I know, I was a teenager in the last recession, where courses were nothing more than a way to keep the DSS off your back while you were actually trying to get one of the non-existent jobs (you were not exempt from seeking work if you were on a course, but it was considered that simply being on a course counted for a lot so they left you alone).

 

I do a little bit of voluntary work.

 

My philosophy was always - it's easier to employ someone who is already employed.
Long term unemployed - and I accept that these days it is not all of their own making - were considered to be an unknown quantity regarding the ability to get up and arrive to work regularly.

If these "so called placements" are being viewed as badly as the rhetoric suggests, Employers will ignore any of the added value elements of the placements and the result will be a negative reaction.

I'm sure if the placements were longer - say 3-6 months (similar in fact to recent initiatives) AND the Employer was able to reject those who did not meet the basic requirements of Turning Up and Working as Required, then the benefits to the Employee would be significantly improved.
Experience and added value elements would make the individual a more valued applicant for the future - and if he was a good worker the placement may turn into a PROPER job.

 

Anyone who was ever an apprentice years ago would tell you, the wages were nearly nothing for the fist couple of years or so.

You a got all the rubbish/meanial jobs until the next bunch were taken on a year or so later.

What is it with today? That you need to start half way up the ladder at least, or its not worth doing.

Starting at the bottom seems to be a dirty word.

 

I did an apprenticeship from 16-19, so I know.

And it's a total myth that young people just want a 'free ride' as many old people put it, it's false.

There are more people unemployed in England that are over-25, yet, young people are the 'lazy' ones, ha.

I still believe giving them NVQs and sending them on courses > Sending them on countless job placements for 'life lessons', any day of the week.