With ‘Work Experience’ programmes in disarray now is the time to up the ante: Fight the plans for Workfare as a central part of the Dole! Ipswich Unemployed Action, formed in 2009,  has protested against these schemes since they first appeared. We have supported Decent benefits for all – a raise so people are not [...]

There is much confusion as to work placements on the Work Experience scheme being voluntary or mandatory. It is mandatory, we will explain why:- It is an employment programme (treats participants as employees and the placement as a job) that carries benefit sanctions as penalty for non-compliance An employment officer at the Jobcentre has to mandate the [...]

OK, not a fully exhaustive break down… we really don’t have the time for that, and most placements will be made through a poverty pimp (welfare to work provider) for the Work Programme, Mandatory Work Activity and Community Action Programme etc. There is a good reason why we are highlighting two specific vacancies… (if your [...]

“Snobs” is how Chris Grayling attacked those who criticise the ‘Work Experience’ programme for the under-25s. The Employment Minister now  says, ” “The idea that people are being press-ganged for long periods of time to work for nothing to provide cheap labour for big companies is totally untrue.” It’s all a helping-hand for young people. Grayling  promises, [...]

We have criticised Jobcentre Plus’ Labour Market System, workfare job vacancies advertised on there, Jobcentre Plus using workfare and false job advertisements to distort job counts. Police uses Workfare Who else could be using workfare apart from the DWP and local councils? The police of course, an institution assumed of moral standards and ethical legitimacy. [...]

A4e, poverty pimp, workfare pimp, experienced fraudster and serial thief from the taxpayers’ purse, is under investigation for fraud once again. On Friday afternoon, Thames Valley Police launched an 4 hour raid on A4e in Slough, demanding staff to hand over computer files and documents from the last 2 years. DWP has confirmed there is [...]

  Joe380Joseph O’Brien   Tills have been closed in #Tesco Westminster #workfare http://pic.twitter.com/EDcsqdhD 55 minutes ago   Tesco, Portcullis House, Bridge St, Westminster, SW1A 2JR – opposite Parliament 10am, Background. From the Guardian here. [We hear that despite Tescos claim that this is all a mistake not only the above but further  protests are going [...]

Tesco last year made £3.8bn in profits. That is around £10m profit a day. Losses made pursuing a global business (3rd largest by revenue, 2nd largest by profits) in the US are being heavily subsidized by slave labour in the UK via the form of compulsory workfare. Anger has been expressed on the Tesco Facebook [...]

Seems DWP is up to its old tricks again. On the day the DWP Press Office announces a “Rise in employment and vacancies shows a stabilising labour market” the 9621 vacancies for that day showed some major concerns especially how Jobcentre Plus is using the job database as a spamming ground for work placements, job search [...]

Watch out, potentially hundreds of fake vacancies have been posted to the Jobcentre Plus job database so all jobs from directgov, job points, jobseeker direct and from Jobcentre advisers are at risk of stealing your identity. These are primarily jobs requesting a CV sent to a gmail.com email address although any free email provider are [...]

What a bloody cheek,especially after the bad press about zero efficiency bully boys A4E and greedy pig Emma over the last few days.

Thank you for putting up that about ae4 goons just got one word to say to EMMA HARRINSON AND THATS GO SWIVEL U FAT SCUM BAG PIG OF A HUMAN BEING

And so is FRAUD - something that YOU and YOUR company are GUILTY of Ms Harrison. Why don't you take your baseless threats and shove them up your backside - or you will be receiving yet another visit from the Police

By the way "petraining" isn't a typo, it is as it appears in the letter. One assumes they mean "pertaining".

Sure ""Our client has made us aware of numerous libellous comments petraining to the company A4e, and its owner Emma Harrison, made by yourself on the reader comments sections of online versions of the following newspapers. The Telegraph [www.telegraph.co.uk] The Independent [www.independent.co.uk] Your comments are legally actionable, and A4e will seek to have the highest possible financial penalty imposed on those that seek to destroy its reputation with baseless accusations. Am I writing to you to offer you an opportunity to avoid this outcome, and to withdraw any and all comments relating to A4e on the afore mentioned publications. Our client has informed us that as the comments in question were made on publications that use the Disqus.com comments platform, there is a facility to edit and delete comments. If you are unaware of how to do these please contact me on the email provided for instructions. Failure to comply with this request will result in A4e taking legal action to resolve this matter"" The letter came from their reputation management company. I had previously received an email expressing 'concerns' about comments I had made about Saint Emma.

Could u write up the letter you got off ae4 goons as us who use our mobiles cant read said letter ok thanks

Look at the lovely letter I got in the post from A4e's hired goons http://i42.tinypic.com/6xun2o.jpg

To Andrew Coates: Good article. I support all the points Ipswich Unemployed Action supports. Keep up the good work. Btw, is there a possibility in improving this website by making it more user centric?

WARNING: CONTAINS SARCASM! Chris Grayling in bed last night: “Bloody peasants how dare they get involved, bloody unemployed 2.6 million bloody workshy scroungers, they should be flogged, all of them, and we should track down every bloody luddite on Facebook and bloody Twitter and shoot the lot, I’m writing a Social Media reform bill that will include a Facebook/Twitter licence fee of £50,000 a year that’ll keep the bloody peasants quiet. Bloody rabble, how dare they question me? Don’t they know who I am? They’ll be saying it’s their bloody country next……..”

Yes, mandatory volunteering is conscription. In a civilian workplace that is forced labour. I thought forced or compulsory labour is illegal under Section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in England, and section 47 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010. Remember "forced or compulsory labour is defined as: "ALL WORK OR SERVICE WHICH IS EXACTED FROM ANY PERSON UNDER THE MENACE OF ANY PENALTY AND FOR WHICH THE SAID PERSON HAS NOT OFFERED HIMSELF VOLUNTARILY" It is therefore of paramount importance for all Jobseekers to declare themselves to be non-volunteers - beware if you are asked at any time if you would consider voluntary work. That old military adage is right: NEVER VOLUNTEER!