{"id":7386,"date":"2016-01-20T17:41:05","date_gmt":"2016-01-20T17:41:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=7386"},"modified":"2016-01-21T14:54:08","modified_gmt":"2016-01-21T14:54:08","slug":"a-workforce-dehumanised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=7386","title":{"rendered":"A workforce dehumanised"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

When the SSI steel works in Redcar closed in October the 2,200 skilled workers that lost their jobs knew things were going to be tough.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Redcar, Middlesborough and all of the surrounding towns were not exactly flush with job opportunities \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or wages \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that matched the skills set and vast experience of the now jobless workforce.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tough was what they expected \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but they had little idea of the demoralising, depressing and dehumanising experiences they were about to encounter \u00e2\u20ac\u201c at the hands of those who are supposed to be helping them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And yet already we are hearing stories of the sheer cliff faces workers are having to climb \u00e2\u20ac\u201c just to survive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reports in the Daily Mirror (January 20) say that axed steelworkers have already been threatened with benefit sanctions, just two weeks after they lost their jobs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Horrendous<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Yesterday (January 19) Anna Turley, Labour MP for Redcar told MPs about the workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 “horrendous” treatment at the hands of Jobcentre staff in the area.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Turley claimed the workers, who have decades of experience, have not been given a 13-week grace period they were promised to apply for jobs needing similar skills.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Instead they have been told to apply for work in shops and bars just two weeks into their claims as Britain’s steel industry faces collapse.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Speaking in a Commons debate after hearing the news that Tata had axed 1,050 more steel jobs including in Port Talbot, South Wales, Turley said it was the latest in a string of “widespread problems with JobCentre Plus.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She reported, “A number of constituents have contacted me to raise the dehumanising treatment they feel they have received in Jobcentres.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Many of these workers have never been out of work and the experience of being on the dole for many of them, like so many of my constituency, is horrendous.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Sanctions should not be used as a mechanism to force claimants to apply for jobs which are not relevant in this instance. They should be a last resort, she added.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It seems that Anna Turley\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s report can be borne out by the experiences of Unite members.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Too early<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

One man was told he had to leave the Jobcentre premises as he had turned up for his appointment \u00e2\u20ac\u0098too early\u00e2\u20ac\u2122. He was 30 minutes ahead of time \u00e2\u20ac\u201c keen to ensure he kept his appointment \u00e2\u20ac\u201c worried, as he was aware of what happens to those who might be late.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another, a skilled mechanical fitter was made to go to an interview as a motor mechanic or risk being sanctioned. Unfortunately the fact that the two jobs have little in common and that the fitter had no experience or relevant knowledge of car engines made no difference to the Jobcentre.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And then there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the older worker who wants to go into teaching; who is prepared for the necessary long and challenging training and starting at the very bottom of a new low-paid career.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He wants to volunteer at a school to gain invaluable experience, but is worried the Jobcentre might sanction him for taking this time and in their eyes \u00e2\u20ac\u0098not actively seeking work\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c although that is exactly what he is doing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At best this is ridiculous \u00e2\u20ac\u201c at worst it is dehumanising. Unite convenor Kevin Cook who with over 39 years\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 experience at the steel works says this apparent lack of respect and understanding of members\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 skills \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and hopes for some kind of future \u00e2\u20ac\u201c are leaving families distraught and exhausted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt [the closure] was a real shock, a nasty surprise, coming as it did before Christmas,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 says Cook. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m 55 and at my age it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a good time to start a new career.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The government is only too keen to tell everyone that it has given \u00c2\u014180m in a support package to help those affected by the closure.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

According to the government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own figures (see below) 2,200 jobs were lost from SSI with 954 jobs going from the supply chain.<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There appears to be some encouraging results on jobs and training \u00e2\u20ac\u201c with \u00e2\u20ac\u015b4,000 training courses agreed for 2,120 people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and \u00e2\u20ac\u015b166 people have been employed as a direct result of the first Jobsfair in October 2015. 884 people attended the second Jobs and Skills Fair in November, where 700 immediate jobs were offered.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Finally on apprentices, \u00e2\u20ac\u015b51 former SSI apprentices are all in education, training or placed with employers.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reality<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

But the reality is not that straightforward. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bA course could last one or two afternoons,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 explains Cook. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s entirely possible that one person could do one or more of these short courses \u00e2\u20ac\u201c which explains the 4,000 courses number,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he adds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Courses are being contracted or expanded \u00e2\u20ac\u201c making them more intense. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI did a course over two weeks which was originally 10 weeks. Or you could find yourself doing a 30-hour course spread over 10 weeks. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because you could be sanctioned if you spend more than 15 hours a week on courses.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So what about these \u00e2\u20ac\u015b700 immediate jobs\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 \u00e2\u20ac\u015boffered\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 at the October jobs fair? Needless to say they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t exactly match the skills set of our members. Cook does not recall if there were as many as 700 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bjobs\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 but says, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI remember there was about 600 jobs with a firm doing some kind of delivery work on zero hours contracts. But it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t in this area \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it was somewhere like Nottinghamshire and the workers would be bused down from here.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It is not known how many skilled steel workers availed themselves of this offer. Other more traditional employers attended including the armed forces and the ambulance service.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Extensive re-training<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTo be a regular paramedic you would need extensive re-training. There were other driving jobs \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but they were zero hours contracts and low paid,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 reports Cook.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And what about the 51 apprentices? \u00e2\u20ac\u015bAll the apprentices will finish their apprenticeship \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the local community has joined together and made that happen. So at least we have that,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he says.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bYes there are some jobs out there,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he says. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut the Jobcentre wants everything \u00e2\u20ac\u201c someone highly qualified, highly experienced \u00e2\u20ac\u201c all for \u00c2\u014118,000 to \u00c2\u014125,000 a year \u00e2\u20ac\u201c which is between \u00c2\u01417,000 to \u00c2\u014110,000 less than we were earning before.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd there is a lot of competition. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not just talking about jobs lost in Redcar or Middlesborough or the surrounding area. Boulby Mine has had to make cut backs \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 700 more people looking for work. About 4,000 jobs have gone from this area \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and now the government is talking about closing the HMRC office \u00e2\u20ac\u201c more workers looking for jobs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bRedcar was just starting to get back to where it used to be but now it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going downhill again.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And for many ex-SSI workers they just can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see how things are going to get any better.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For Unite, government action is critical \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and the lessons of Redcar must be learned for the future of UK steel and all of our steelworkers and their communities now at risk.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUK steelworkers make some of the best steel in the world which plays a part in our everyday lives,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Unite national officer, Harish Patel.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bSteel is vital to the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s regional and national economies and our future as a manufacturing nation. Without steel any hope of rebalancing the economy and building prosperous communities will turn to dust.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more see the Unite film<\/a> \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Save our Steel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and sign The Mirror\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s petition at www.mirror.co.uk\/steelpetition<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TASK FORCE TALLY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The government Task Force set up to help SSI Redcar steelworkers back into work claims it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s helped almost 700 people back into work or training. Headline figures are:<\/span><\/p>\n

Job losses: <\/em><\/strong>2,200 <\/strong>SSI steelworkers were made redundant when the plant closed in October 2015<\/span><\/p>\n

954 <\/strong>job losses in the supply chain, 26 companies have announced. But 92 <\/strong>SSI staff have been retained by the Official Receiver to work on site safety.<\/span><\/p>\n

Redundancy payments and benefits: <\/em><\/strong>2,027\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>of the former SSI workforce (98.1 per cent) have made online redundancy pay applications; 695 <\/strong>former SSI and supply chain workers are no longer claiming benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Training and support: <\/em><\/strong>5,200\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>calls have been made to the Jobcentre Plus helpline. 4,000 <\/strong>training courses have been agreed for 2,120 people; 2,969\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>people have received advice and help from the Support Hub of the Task Force.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jobs and skills fairs: <\/em><\/strong>166 <\/strong>people have been employed as a direct result of the first Jobsfair in October 2015. 884 <\/strong>people attended the second Jobs and Skills Fair in November, where 700 immediate jobs were offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apprentices: <\/em><\/strong>51 <\/strong>former SSI apprentices are all in education, training or placed with employers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Government data from itv.com <\/a>article <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When the SSI steel works in Redcar closed in October the 2,200 skilled workers that lost their jobs knew things were going to be tough.   Redcar, Middlesborough and all of the surrounding towns were not exactly flush with job opportunities \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or wages \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that matched the skills set and vast experience of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6238,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[430,269],"wps_subtitle":"SSI workers: losing jobs was just the start","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7386"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7386"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7396,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7386\/revisions\/7396"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}