Labour supporting Duncan Smith in defending slave work at Poundland

But in the case of Cait Reilly, she was already doing work experience at a local museum out of her own initiative, which makes the Jobcentre's decision to effectively force her to give up this placement for one in a completely unrelated industry so hair-tearingly stupid.

It would be good to get it tested in Europe, many do not agree with the court.

I agree completely that jobseekers should be forced to do the same job without pay that anyone else would do with pay. However, I wonder whether Poundland (and others) will just instead create a load of new positions for 'voluntary' work.

I agree completely that jobseekers should be forced to do the same job without pay that anyone else would do with pay. However, I wonder whether Poundland (and others) will just instead create a load of new positions for 'voluntary' work.

In her particular case it was right but a lot of other people do not deserve a penny of extra money from the government

Why do you think that? What is the point of employers having to pay anyone? According to that principle, aren't you in favour of everyone being sacked and then forced to work for nothing?

The work could be done in the community in sectors that private firms have little incentive to do business in.

Actually, the vast majority of those who find themselves on Jobseekers will have worked before and thus paid NI contributions so they are effectively claiming back there own money.

Out of those who have never contribued anything to the system, the overwhelming majority are young people and students who have yet to get a foot in the door. (Source) Families of "Scroungers" who have never worked are a tiny minority.

Why do you think that? What is the point of employers having to pay anyone? According to that principle, aren't you in favour of everyone being sacked and then forced to work for nothing?

Sorry, that was meant to read "shouldn't be forced."

Essentially, I agree with you.

I was just about to start a thread on this. I don't think I'm unjustified in saying this is the moment where the government crossed the line into dictatorship. Passing retrospective legislation when found to be doing something illegal is the sort of thing I'd expect from Gadaffi or someone like that.

The judiciary has been the only thing keeping the government back in the past couple of years. The government know this and that's why they're cutting legal aid this year so none of the disabled or jobless have anything they can do but die in their own filth.

This is the beginnings of the sort of crisis that leads to revolution.

I am utterly astounded that Labour are supporting this, talk about out of touch. I had hoped the worm was beginning to turn. Good point about Europe. I hope it does go all the way to the ECHR and our country is shamed in front of billions on the world stage for its spiteful abuses of our human rights.

They aren't as small a minority you might think- Jeremy Kyle seems to have no problem finding people to go on his show!

Still there's nothing wrong with making people get work experience to enhance their CV- something is better than nothing

We need to end the something for nothing culture

Official statistics (which I have provided) > sensationalised train-wreck TV devised to generate as many ratings as possible.



Where is the incentive for companies to hire paid workers though if they can get people to work for free?

Experience should be relevent to educational training, forcing graduates who want to go into skilled fields to stack shelves benefits neither them nor taxpayer. What it does benefit though is the government's public image along with multinational corporations such as Poundland who no longer have to hire unskilled workers on a paid wage (who really would need such experience) further perpetuating the cycle of unemployment. Through the workfare scheme the taxpayer is essentially paying to provide private companies with free labour, how can people not see that?

Though must jobs for the unemployed will be in tertiary/customer-service roles so experience is essential


Agreed and we can start by no longer giving away free labour to profit-making companies

So why are you going on about it to me?

Work experience of any sort is better than been on the dole/JSA when it comes to your CV full stop.

slave labor
noun
1.
persons, especially a large group, performing labor under duress or threats.

The mandatory work programme coerces people on benefits to work without pay or face the threat of losing their benefits; this fits the definition above precisely.

Poundland work experience is only be beneficial if you only plan on working in the likes of Poundland the rest of your life, with maybe a high aim of working in Aldi. Otherwise, Poundland work experience is about as useless as a weeks work experience in a primary school work in year 11.

Poundland work experience is only be beneficial if you only plan on working in the likes of Poundland the rest of your life, with maybe a high aim of working in Aldi. Otherwise, Poundland work experience is about as useless as a weeks work experience in a primary school in year 11.