There's something really sickening about the weak and qualified criticism
of work-for-dole that we hear from the Australian Labor Party and the likes
of ACOSS's Michael Raper. The ALP of course allowed the government's
work-for-dole legislation to pass through parliament by voting for it. But
even ACOSS is trying to have two-bob each way.
Basically Michael Raper is a welfare bureaucrat who feeds at the trough of
government funded agencies. When we campaigned against the ALP government's
"Active Employment" (AES) plans (the fore-runner to work-for-dole) back in
1991, Raper was the director of an agency called the Sydney Welfare Rights
Centre. Raper strongly resisted those of us in the welfare rights national
network who were arguing that AES should be fought tooth and nail. He and
his slimy off-sider John Rome, was all for it, the little shits.
He got rolled that time, but I see he's now back to his old mantra, arguing
that work-for-dole would be fine as long as there was a "training" element
in the slave labour. Talk about adding insult to injury!
Rome was later rewarded with a nice job in the Commonwealth Ombudsman's
office. Where he was made responsible for covering up the abuses by the
Department of Employment. The Ombudsman's office in Australia has always
been as useless as tits on a bull, they basically only employ investigators
who are reliable bureaucratic psychophants. Fortunately the courts are a
bit more impartial, but many are gullible enough to be diverted into
complaining to the Ombudsman's office, who will take maybe six months to
reject their complaint, after which time most people get sick of it and
give up.
Anyhow, enough of my bitter, off-topic, denunciations... Read it and weep.
Bill Bartlett
Bracknell Tas
----
ABC News
Friday December 17, 1999
*Unemployed to be required to work for the dole*
The Federal Government is expanding its mutual obligation scheme for the
unemployed.
More people will be required to take part in an activity, in a bid to stop
them becoming long-term unemployed.
From next year, new applicants for unemployment benefits could lose their
payments if they refuse to sign on to a structured activity.
That rule currently applies only to those who have been out of work for six
months.
Activities include voluntary charity work, numeracy and literacy training
and the work for the dole scheme.
The tighter controls are part of the government's plan to double the number
of work for the dole places to 50,000.
The government says the change is aimed at stopping people becoming lost in
the system and ending up long-term unemployed.
It is keen to stress the measure will only apply to people under the age of 40.
Prime Minister John Howard says the government is working towards a
situation where the unemployed will have to give something back for their
welfare benefits.
Mr Howard says people can no longer sit back and receive benefits for nothing.
"Society owes it to people to provide them with a social security safety
net," he said. "We cannot allow people to go without basic means of support.
"But in return, if they're able to do so, they should give something back
to the community and my experience going around Australia is that people
support that."
Opposition
The Federal Opposition has condemned plans to widen the work for the dole
scheme.
Opposition leader Kim Beazley says he believes in the principle of mutual
obligation but predicts the latest proposal will backfire.
"It's another thing entirely to say to folk who have contributed for a very
substantial period of time through taxes that they are not going to be able
to immediately access unemployment benefits unless there's an immediate
requirement for them to return," Mr Beazley said.
"This government is into punishment [for] ordinary folk in a big way, isn't
it?"
ACOSS
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) wants the government to
better focus its work for the dole scheme.
ACOSS president Michael Raper says he does not disagree with the idea of
the unemployed working for their payments.
But he says it is not right to force people to undertake activities which
are irrelevant to their job prospects.
"The work for the dole scheme isn't in fact about getting people into
work," he said.
"That's not what it's about, that's not one of the aims of it, that's not
one of the stated objectives.
"If people happen to get a job as a result of it or after it, it's a
coincidence."
The New South Wales Youth Action and Policy Association (YAPA) says the
unemployed need tailored, accredited assistance, not work for the dole's
open-slather approach.
YAPA's executive officer, Alan Kirkland, says it is unfair that the new
measures will only apply to people under 40 years of age.
********************************************************************
* Unemployed to be required to work for the dole*
The Federal Government is moving to clamp down on the unemployed who sign
up to work-for-the-dole programs but do not follow through.
From the new year, the unemployed will lose their benefits if they refuse
to take part in a structured activity such as voluntary charity work or
literacy and numeracy classes.
Earlier, a spokesman for Employment Services Minister, Tony Abbott, had
told the ABC that new applicants for benefits would be affected by the
tighter restrictions as soon as they signed up.
However the Minister now says once someone has been unemployed for six
months, they must follow through with the scheme.
"When they hit that six months, if they're under 25, or 12 months if
they're under 35, timeline then we're going to get them into work for the
dole or some other activity without any mucking around or procrastination,"
he said.
"What we've been discovering up till now is that people have been hitting
that mutual obligation timeline and there's been unnecessary and unhelpful
counter-productive delay before they actually start doing an activity."
--
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