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> Social Welfare Bill 1999
> Hassling people into very low paid jobs
>
>
> The Scheme Workers Alliance organises people on
> employment schemes to combat cutbacks and win the
> extension of part-time workers rights. Uisce from
> 'Workers Solidarity' spoke to Leo Duffy and Seamas
> Carrehan of the SWA about the upcoming Social Welfare
> bill.
>
> The Government is continuing its campaign against
> working class people. Workfare was introduced last year
> by Mary Harney, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade &
> Employment. It forces people into shit low paid jobs by
> cutting their social welfare completely. The next phase
> in this assault is the proposed Social Welfare Bill
> 1999.
>
> Contained in it are provisions for increasing welfare
> benefits for the unemployed, pensioners and other people
> on welfare. However, the increase would not even buy a
> packet of cigarettes, the price of which was raised in
> the last budget. Hidden among these titbits from the
> Tiger's table is Article 26, a draconian piece of
> legislation directed at further oppressing the working
> class.
>
> "This Welfare Bill, and particularly the section dealing
> with vehicle checkpoints, comes at the end of a three
> year sustained and covert campaign by the state against
> the most vulnerable people in our society" said Seamas
> Carrahen. It allows for Social Welfare inspectors to
> mount checkpoints to (in theory) catch social welfare
> recipients who are also working in the black economy.
>
> Welfare inspectors, when accompanied by a cop can stop a
> vehicle suspected of "being used in the course of
> employment or self-employment." Dermot Ahern, Minister
> for Welfare has assured us "that the powers will
> continue to be used responsibly. This programme is not
> aimed at the ordinary citizen going about their
> business."
>
> But as Leo Duffy put it "it reinforces the sense of
> threat that people in vulnerable positions, on social
> welfare (will be) hassled under the new welfare
> arrangement". It will be used where unemployment is
> endemic and it will infringe on the lives of working
> class people. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties
> described it as "another inroad into peoples liberty to
> come and go in the course of legitimate activity."
>
> Even though the powers for social welfare inspectors are
> only now being legislated for, these multi-agency check-
> points have been in operation over the past year. When
> criticised by other TDs who had never heard of these
> checkpoints 'till they saw the Bill, Dermot Ahern
> apologised saying "in retrospect it, perhaps, should
> have been mentioned."
>
> Ahern "has done all of this without negotiating with any
> of the people involved" said Seamas Carrehan, pointing
> to the lack of consultation between Ahern's Department
> and trade unions and unemployed groups. A reason that
> Ahern is legislating for the checkpoints now may be that
> "by formalising it in legislation it does give it a
> status where it could be more easily manipulated against
> vulnerable people" said Leo Duffy.
>
> Dermot Ahern, in defence of the checkpoints, said that
> in February that 10% of vehicles stopped at certain
> checkpoints revealed fraud cases. What he didn't say was
> whether these particular cars had been deliberately
> targeted.
>
> Perhaps he is implying that 10% of working class people
> are criminals. According to Leo Duffy "anybody who is
> carrying a plastic social welfare card is automatically
> going to come under suspicion or threat".
>
> Seamas Carrahen described the Bill as primarily
> representing "the interests of business. But the people
> it represents and the people who are saying that we need
> cutbacks and we cannot afford the welfare state are
> actually the people, at this point, who are becoming
> phenomonally wealthy". He added that the continuing
> campaign against unemployment by the government is not
> designed to help the unemployed. It is actually to drive
> the unemployed into low wage jobs, and again that's a
> business persons agenda that's being promoted by the
> government.
>
> There has been minimal protest against the new bill. Leo
> Duffy said that "protests have come from other agencies.
> They haven't necessarily coalesced in that, but on their
> own initiative they have sent protests to the Department
> of Social Welfare". Seamas added "there has been a
> fragmented response to the bill from isolated quarters.
> There has been no co-ordinated or adequate attack on it,
> it has been accepted as a fait accompli".
>
> Welfare Inspectors will be coming to a neighbourhood
> near you, soon!
>
> This article is from Workers Solidarity No 57 - May 1999
> More articles from this issue at
> http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/wsm.html
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> This article is from Workers Solidarity No 56
> published in March 1999
> More articles from this issue at
> http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/ws99.html
>
> >From Irelands's Workers Solidarity Movement
> http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/wsm.html
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