A4E to claimant: “get a job”
March 16th, 2009In what has to be the most ironic riposte to a picket ever, protesters against the Welfare Reform Bill were told by an employee of one of the forced-training “back to work” agencies to “get a job”.
Report of the protest here. More seriously, an insight into how this company A4E (offices on Lothian Rd.) treats its “clients” can be found in this disturbing first hand account of the group, described variously as “Poverty pimps” and “On a campaign to re-invent bonded labour”.
I was forced to go to A4e and told I would lose my benefits if I didn’t attend. I already had low self esteem because I hadn’t been working for the previous 6 months and had tried to get a job that would cover all of my bills. I had even voluntarily taken up typing courses and had got my level 3 qualifications in the hope that I could get a job that paid enough. I was also waiting to start voluntary work at citizen advice but I couldn’t start there because of attending A4e.
Things don’t seem to be any better at their Edinburgh office. Some of their clients told the protesters “it’s a fucking jail” where they are forced to spend the whole day (some for 12 weeks) searching for jobs that just aren’t there.
Worse, there’s the “Volunteer to Work” programme, where you go work for nothing for a month. No wages, you go sweep the fruit & veg aisles in Asda or you lose your benefit. After a month’s “trial”, the company can simply get someone else to work for free for the next month.
