Take a bow, mighty conservative Britain, the workhouses are back

LiE · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:34

Better than having them sitting at home playing on the xbox on their 50" plasma.

Nitefly · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:34

A friend had an episode recently - they wouldn't pay her job seekers allowance if she took voluntary work experience to improve her cv. That's just daft surely :confused:

Jay794 · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:35

RDM said:
It is voluntary and if you quit in the first week it has no impact on your benefits.

Wait, what?

It's voluntary? so it only gets the people who WANT to work, in work? no the drug users and just plain wasters?

oulton said:
No, and I assume neither do you mate, you weren't around in the victorian era were you? Nope, ok, only your views were then.

People being threatened into working for big corp, 30 hours per week in return for 57 quid (1.80 odd an hour) is slavery!
I wonder what instills such conservative unhealthy views in people?

I think you'll find thats called an apprenticeship

UncleRuckus · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:35

POB said:
This is wrong, if it was working for a Charity that would be great.

But giving Tesco free labor is very wrong.

100% agree with this.

Glaucus · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:35

oulton said:
No, and I assume neither do you mate, you weren't around in the victorian era were you? Nope, ok, only your views were then.

People being threatened into working for big corp, 30 hours per week in return for 57 quid (1.80 odd an hour) is slavery!

I wonder what instills such conservative unhealthy views in people?

It's not slavery, it's optional, it's not permanent.
What instils such far fetched views into people even when the article explains it for you. Why do you come to a conclusion which just isn't there.

Sunbed · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:36

Loving the classic lefty comments on the Guardian, probably the exact opposite of what will appear on here. If so, I'm in the right place because it seems like a good idea to me.

Tummy · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:37

So, free labour for Tesco?

oulton · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:38

scorza said:
First step to the abolishment of the minimum wage. I can almost hear some Conservative millionaire minister saying something like "look at all the interest in employing people while paying them nothing, yet no-one is taking on people at minimum wage. We should let the free market decide the price of labour"

Exactly....

I don't know how people with such convervative views can sleep at night....some of you must really think the sun shines out of your backsides! I think that wealth or poverty can come to any of us, so we should all look out for those less fortunate cos one day it might be us queueing for 57 a week!

I graduated luckily in 2008, got out of the uk and into consultany jobs abroad, and now I'm in mainland europe doing well. Someone who may have achieved exactly as well in 2009 but didn't have the funds to do a working holiday may now be forced into stacking shelves for 57 quid a week.

RDM · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:38

oulton said:
No, and I assume neither do you mate, you weren't around in the victorian era were you? Nope, ok, only your views then.

Can I suggest a history book? Or perhaps even wikipedia? A voluntary scheme were people can get work experience is a world apart from the workhouses.

oulton said:
People being threatened into working for big corp, 30 hours per week in return for 57 quid (1.80 odd an hour) is slavery!

What about volunteering for it instead? Is my work placement next year also slavery? I am not even getting £57 a week for that.

Surely giving someone the opportunity for work experience and a good chance at a job at the end of it is a good thing?

oulton said:
I wonder what instills such conservative unhealthy views in people?

I know, how terrible giving people the opportunity to get some work experience that may lead to a job. We should just leave them languishing on the dole instead...

RopAyy · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:39

I cant really see this been a bad thing. Theres plenty of people on the JSA because they cannot be arsed to go out and get a job.
This should be mandatory and not optional, there made to work for their JSA and hopefully gain skills needed to carry on into other employment options rather than sitting about all day, certainly looks better when applying for work rather than stating 'i got JSA and sat around all day playing xbox.'

Glaucus · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:40

They also get a guaranteed interview, but not a guarantee Jon. Can't say fairer than that.

How can they say they get nothing from it. They get paid JSA.

NathanE · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:40

It's a good idea. The problem comes when Tesco etc just rely on the free labour rather than actually employing someone and paying them money. It could be the start of a even more vicious unemployment cycle.

Shayper · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:40

Lolslavery.

Honestly, you do realise how bad conditions were in workhouses? Bryant and May (I think), the match producers had many people die from poisoning. Oh wait, I forgot tescos don't have stringent health and safety :rolleyes:

cainer · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:42

its optional so theres no real problem, but from looking at that article some people wernt being told it was optional and were led to believe they had to do it.. thats a problem

oulton · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:42

UncleRuckus said:
100% agree with this.

Dear charitable Tesco, every little helps

Cosimo · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:42

Good idea. Some free work experience to get them motivated a life of labour.

Glaucus · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:42

NathanE said:
It's a good idea. The problem comes when Tesco etc just rely on the free labour rather than actually employing someone and paying them money. It could be the start of a even more vicious unemployment cycle.

How would that work. 8weeks, how do you train people, how do you keep most of them motivated, how do you make them come to work, or come in on time. That really isn't going to be an issue at all.
They'll need huge amounts of supervision.

XeNoN89 · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:43

Excellent news. Hopefully this will stop people sitting around doing nothing and scrounging off the government.

oulton · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:44

Glaucus said:
How would that work. 8weeks, how do you train people, how do you keep most of them motivated, how do you make them come to work, or come in on time. That really isn't going to be an issue at all.
They'll need huge amounts of supervision.

You haven't read the article

UncleRuckus · 16 Nov 2011 at 14:44

Glaucus said:
Why would charitys take untrained and a pain in the **** people on. WhAts wrong with doing deals with private companies.
Such people will come with a hole host of issues which mean they won't be productive in the vast majority of cases.

My objection to it is that it could put people who are being paid out of work by having a stream of free temp workers.

Also the current government stopped the grass roots program which helped a lot of charities with funding( not that I agreed with my tax being taken to fund them). But it would be a great way to help out with local charities giving them an increase in labour.