Exploitation Britain 2014

Electronics specialist John McArthur has to live off 16p tins of spaghetti without being heated as he was sanctioned by his jobcentre for refusing to work unpaid.

John was ordered by the department for work and pensions (DWP) to work for a company that had let him go at the end of a temporary contract for nothing.

Sadly John’s case represents thousands more people in the same situation.

The Tories introduced a controversial policy called Workfare back in 2011.

“Workfare profits the rich by providing free labour, whilst threatening the poor. It takes away people’ welfare rights if they refuse to be exploited and work for nothing,” said Steve Turner, Unite assistant general secretary.

For those who refuse to work without a living wage they risk having their welfare rights taken away and benefits removed or ‘sanctioned’.

“Sanctions are a disgraceful attack by the government on some of the most vulnerable people in our society. They are used to intimidate, humiliate and threaten people into work they are often unfit to do in order to maintain their benefits”.

“Highly profitable corporations are being rightly exposed for signing up for a scheme that exploits forced labour to do tax payer funded jobs when they should be attracting workers into safe, secure, well paid jobs at their own expense” added Steve.

John, who says he has been applying for 50 jobs a week without any joy said the CWP programme was “completely exploitative.”

“The government deny its forced labour, that you can say no, but forced doesn’t always mean physical, it can be psychological or economic,” said John McArthur.

“The person who is trying to survive on already subsistence level welfare has absolutely no choice in the matter.”

McArthur said there are no jobs for someone of his age in Lanarkshire.

North Lanarkshire council passed a motion in October strongly objecting to forced employment schemes. “This council will not provide jobs or placements without pay as a condition of receiving benefits unless it is truly voluntary.

Some of the UK’s biggest charities, including the British Heart Foundation, Scope, Barnardo’s, Sue Ryder and Marie Curie have withdrawn from the CWP scheme highlighting employers mistrust in it.

“This particular case is simply shocking,” said Jamie Caldwell, Unite community organiser in Scotland. “The government claims the whole idea is for young people to gain job experience for their CV’s.”

“The fact that a 59 year old man has been forced to work in his old job for free is just exploitation fair and simple,” added Jamie.

McArthur says he is surviving on a monthly pension of £149 after the DWP stopped his unemployment benefit until January as punishment for his refusal to complete the 26 week community work placement. A reality Jamie described as ‘scandalous’.

“The Tories talk about lifting people out of poverty while in fact pushing them further and further towards the breadline,” said Jamie.

“With Christmas fast approaching its single parents who are going to feel the crippling squeeze most,” he added.

Record numbers of families are facing impoverishment with one in four children in Glasgow living in poverty and foodbanks a lifeline to growing numbers of families.

“The reality for many is a choice between food on the table and heating their homes. Christmas presents won’t even be a part of the equation,” said Jamie.

Join Unite’s campaign against workfare.