Today's Australian, at: http://news.com.au/0,3546,936057%255E421,00.html Jobless face harsher work-for-dole rules By Political editor DENNIS SHANAHAN 14jul00 THE Olympic jobs boom in Sydney has paved the way for a tough new scheme that cuts in half the time allowed before the unemployed can be forced on to work-for-the-dole projects. As unemployment nationally dropped to a 10-year low of 6.6 per cent, the federal Government was preparing to crack down on the jobless by targeting the opportunities for work in Sydney. In some cases, the time allowed on the dole before being referred to a project is to be cut from 12 months to three. Recipients who refuse to attend work-for-the-dole projects will lose their benefits. If successful, the Government may expand the pilot program to other metropolitan areas of low unemployment. In a mail-out, about 70,000 unemployment recipients in the Sydney metropolitan area will be told of the booming jobs market in the city, especially during the Olympics, and reminded of their "obligation" to find work. From August 1, a new pilot program � designed to capitalise on the expected 100,000 Olympics-related jobs � will start. It aims to reduce Sydney's unemployment rate to the levels of the 1950s and 1960s � between 0.9 and 2.6 percent. Sydney has been chosen to pilot the new work-for-the-dole scheme because of the already low rate of unemployment � 4.6 percent in May � and the number of job vacancies. Under the new rules, people under 35 who have been on unemployed benefits for more than two months and are not already in a recognised program, will be immediately referred to Job Search training. Those who do not take up the offer of Job Search training will be forced on to work-for-the-dole schemes after a total of three months' unemployment. In March, Employment Minister Tony Abbott said the Olympic Games provided the opportunity to cut unemployment levels to the "golden days of Bob Menzies". "For people on the dole, there is no alternative to taking the job that's offered. Otherwise, unemployment is no longer a matter of inability to find work but a question of lifestyle choice," he said. -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
