I
think if you read more about that policy you would disagree with it.
The fundamental idea of making those on jobseekers work can be debated back and forth, however the implementation of this policy has been appalling. I think deliberately so. The jobs jobseekers are forced to get are managed by a private company paid by the government. This company makes a profit, quite a nice profit too. What they do is farm their free workforce out to other companies that need menial tasks done e.g. shelf stacking in supermarkets. This directly causes an increase in unemployment by forcing those already in those jobs out of work. After all who is the supermarket going to employ, a jobseeker on £50 a week for 30 hours or anyone else on the minimum wage.
Essential the government is subsidising a private company to provide cheap labour to undercut the minimum wage and increase the number of people on the dole.
I imagine this policy was lobbied for heavily by employers of low skilled workers.
(, Mon 15 Nov 2010, 18:45, Share, Reply)