Government told to reveal names of workfare exploiters!

The following report which we are publishing in full, has been taken from the website 'Boycott Workfare'.

"Some great news: The government has lost its appeal and must reveal the organisations that have used Mandatory Work Activity, Work Experience, and Work Programme placements. That means we’re going to be able to show those organisations what we think of them profiting from free labour!

The evidence the government submitted reveals what a huge impact your actions have had. They argued:

“The activities of campaign groups and the results of negative publicity meant that… “a great many placement organisations” had ceased to offer placements. That in turn reduced the numbers of opportunities available across both programmes with a loss of many placements and prospective new placements being at risk.” (Point 109)

This adds to the evidence that emerged earlier in the week that numbers of people on “Government employment schemes” (read ‘workfare’) have dropped by 16,000 this quarter. We also heard that Seetec were complaining at an industry conference last week how difficult it is to find placements nowadays because employers are worried about protest. The DWP’s appeal revealed that one subcontractor has complained about a loss of 100 placements per week in its area alone (point 93).

That is your actions – whether building pressure online, spreading the word, withholding donations, boycotting shops, joining a picket or staging an occupation – helping push back forced unpaid work in the UK.

The government feared that “Put simply, disclosure [of names] would have been likely to have led to the collapse of the MWA [Mandatory Work Activity] scheme”. Let’s do our best to make sure it does! Keep your eyes peeled for the release of the names and get ready to step up the pressure on those profiting from forced labour.

Special congratulations go to Frank Zola for pursuing this to the Information Tribunal. The full decision can be enjoyed here. (Of particular note are points 28, 29, 67, 70-75, 93, 94, 96, 99, 100, 103, 109, 127, 133, 176, 196)

Since the Salvation Army gets a special mention from the DWP for ‘holding the line’ (point 196), you may like to take this opportunity to remind them why this position is just so inconsistent with their Christian values. The Salvation Army UK can be contacted on facebook, by phone (020 7367 4500), by email (info@salvationarmy.org.uk). More background on their involvement and contact details can be found here, or you can tweet at them:"

Yesterday the Guardian reported that the Department for Work and Pensions, were considering an appeal to the high court or deploying a ministerial veto to ban publication. This is not surprising given the government's track record.

When the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 2011, were quashed by three Appeal Court judges in February, for being unlawful, the government simply changed the regulations and applied them retrospectively, so that people who had been unlawfully sanctioned, could not claim the money back. Ali Baba and his forty thieves, have got nothing on these bastards.

Staff had wages and hours cut due to firm using free dole labour!

The following briefing was recently sent to NV blog from the campaign group 'Boycott Workfare'.

"Two weeks ago, it emerged that Homebase was taking on tens of workfare placements in their Haringey store: 750 hours of unpaid work in just one week in just one of Homebase’s 342 shops.

A week later, a Homebase poster was leaked: it showed managers boasting about how they have been able to cut the wages bill with workfare.http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/workfare-why-did-so-many-labour-mps-accept-this-brutal-unforgivable-attack-on-vulnerable-people-8542193.html Then a staff member told us what it had meant for staff: overtime cut for everyone and some people’s hours reduced cut from 48 down to 8.

People’s response has been immense, with loads of online pressure, people pledging to shop elsewhere, and pop-up demos outside their shops. It’s obviously having an impact.

On Easter weekend, Homebase took their Facebook Page down at least three times because of the scale of response from the public. Since then they have deleted literally hundreds of comments.

Yesterday, Homebase posted a new statement, saying “While we review our local arrangements, we have decided to make no further commitment to the Job Centre work experience programme.” But that still leaves tens of workfare placements in their Haringey store and possibly elsewhere too.

Step up the pressure for every single person working in Homebase to be paid.

A week of action has been called against Homebase, culminating in protests, leafleting and pickets at their stores this weekend. Why not print some leaflets and visit a store near you? We’ll post a template flyer here very soon, and let us know if you need help covering printing costs!

So far actions have been called in: London on Saturday, London on Sunday, Bristol.

Let us know what you plan and we’ll add it to the list!

Online:

On Facebook (if they bring their page back again): facebook.com/homebase

On Twitter:

By email: order.enquiries@homebase.co.uk or info@homebase.co.uk orenquiries@homebase.co.uk

By phone: 0845 077 8888 or 0845 601 6911

Or contact the company they are owned by: The Home Retail Group.

A clever project has been set up for people to write or send parcels to workfare users’ Freepost addresses. More info here.

…and if you’re in Liverpool, there’s a whole week of workfare fun planned next week.

Homebase has boasted about workfare reducing paid work. We can’t let them get away with it. After all, “If you exploit us, we will shut you down.”