My OperaSleight-of-Hand
Monday, October 22, 2007 10:52:46 PM
Political Asylum - "Any governmental office" - Johnny Carson
Well it looks like I'm going to be forced into a "Work Placement". For those not in the know (and those outside the UK) this phrase is a euphemism for wage slavery.
For working a standard 37.5 hour week I get the princely sum of £15.30 - that's 0.408p per hour. Even if you add in the normal £59.15 Job Seekers Allowance the hourly rate becomes £1.985. True we get our travelling expenses paid at the minimum (cheapest) rate but the claimant must bear the first £4 per week. Even if we factor in, say £15, for this (AND deduct £4 that claimants have to bear themselves) the resultant rate is still only £2.278 per hour. The current minimum wage rate is £5.35.
If minimum wage rates were applied the maximum number of hours would be:
((£59.15 + £15.30 + £15.00)-£4.00) = £85.45
£85.45 / £5.35 = 15.972 hours
So why am I so against Work Placement? Well several reasons:-
low pay
long hours
disregard of health & safety
no real training
no real job opportunities
irrelevant work experience
dishonesty of the concept
The first two I have dealt with.
Health & Safety has been a major concern with all UK government 'make-work' schemes - indeed in the past some young people have lost their lives. Now that the Health & Safety at Work Act puts equal responsibility on the shoulders of employer and employee I fully intend to report every infringement not only to my employer but the H & S Executive as well.
No real training - it's supposed to be 'on-the-job' but in reality it's 'just get on with it'.
No real job opportunities - I spent 3 months on a previous WP where I did Project Management plus all the admin. Near the end of my time funds were received which meant that a proper paid administrator's post could be advertised. I was not allowed to apply as the job was 'ring-fenced'.
Irrelevant work experience - you get pushed into a convenient box. We have this employer who needs cheap labour - this 'customer' (claimant) will do.
Dishonesty - WP is all about cheap labour and massaging the unemployment figures.
If you ask the DWP for any stats you get ignored. I would like to know:
how many people actually get work as a direct result of doing WP (% as well)?
how many people acquire skills that directly lead to a job they would otherwise not have got?
do employers look more favourably upon claimants who have gone through WP?
What real evidence do the DWP have or is it just prejudice masquerading as government policy?
After a week I will take a look at the real figures.
Well it looks like I'm going to be forced into a "Work Placement". For those not in the know (and those outside the UK) this phrase is a euphemism for wage slavery.
For working a standard 37.5 hour week I get the princely sum of £15.30 - that's 0.408p per hour. Even if you add in the normal £59.15 Job Seekers Allowance the hourly rate becomes £1.985. True we get our travelling expenses paid at the minimum (cheapest) rate but the claimant must bear the first £4 per week. Even if we factor in, say £15, for this (AND deduct £4 that claimants have to bear themselves) the resultant rate is still only £2.278 per hour. The current minimum wage rate is £5.35.
If minimum wage rates were applied the maximum number of hours would be:
((£59.15 + £15.30 + £15.00)-£4.00) = £85.45
£85.45 / £5.35 = 15.972 hours
So why am I so against Work Placement? Well several reasons:-
low pay
long hours
disregard of health & safety
no real training
no real job opportunities
irrelevant work experience
dishonesty of the concept
The first two I have dealt with.
Health & Safety has been a major concern with all UK government 'make-work' schemes - indeed in the past some young people have lost their lives. Now that the Health & Safety at Work Act puts equal responsibility on the shoulders of employer and employee I fully intend to report every infringement not only to my employer but the H & S Executive as well.
No real training - it's supposed to be 'on-the-job' but in reality it's 'just get on with it'.
No real job opportunities - I spent 3 months on a previous WP where I did Project Management plus all the admin. Near the end of my time funds were received which meant that a proper paid administrator's post could be advertised. I was not allowed to apply as the job was 'ring-fenced'.
Irrelevant work experience - you get pushed into a convenient box. We have this employer who needs cheap labour - this 'customer' (claimant) will do.
Dishonesty - WP is all about cheap labour and massaging the unemployment figures.
If you ask the DWP for any stats you get ignored. I would like to know:
how many people actually get work as a direct result of doing WP (% as well)?
how many people acquire skills that directly lead to a job they would otherwise not have got?
do employers look more favourably upon claimants who have gone through WP?
What real evidence do the DWP have or is it just prejudice masquerading as government policy?
After a week I will take a look at the real figures.
