30.05.1996

Jobs not job seekers

Mass unemployment and low pay are increasingly becoming the British diseases, as more and more people can ‘look forward’ to a life of insecurity and financial hardship (or, to use management jargon, ‘flexibility’ and ‘down-shifting’ is becoming the norm).  

In this climate, the Tories are introducing the Job Seekers Allowance, which will break up the welfare state and introduce a system of harassment which will force people into low-paid jobs. Naturally, new Labour has its own scheme - Jobs, Education and Training (Jet), which amounts to the same thing. Both the JSA and Jet represent a vicious assault on the principles of the welfare state and a threat to both the employed and unemployed.

The Tories are starting to introduce JSA trial runs in selected areas, such as West London, so they can get the system up and running before October. The JSA criteria will be harsh. For those signing on this means only receiving six months non-means tested benefit for those who have paid full stamp (rather than the 12 months, as before). This means people with partners in paid work will get nothing and people under 25 will be worse off. It is estimated that 18,000 people in London and the South East alone will lose £8 million.

Intimidation will be rife. The mainly ‘voluntary’ training schemes will become compulsory. Refusing a job, at any level of pay, will mean no benefit at all for up to six months - rather than the 40%-cut benefit ‘sanction’ which exists at the moment. Under the Orwellian Job Seekers Directives they can even order you to change your hair style or get a new ‘attitude’. For those in work the JSA will prove to be bad news as well - they will see an increase in NI contributions, despite the decrease in associated benefits. The attendant proliferation of part-time and casual work will erode the living standards of all workers.

A campaign is being waged against this, including a week-long strike held by West London benefit workers in April. The Socialist Labour Party is particularly active in supporting this campaign.

Paul Greenaway