An attempt to bring a calm and rational solution to the workfare issue

There's been a lot of controversy around the "workfare" issue. However, while individual members have expressed clear opinions on it, our party is yet to take an official stance on the issue. With a policy paper on youth unemployment to be debated this weekend at conference we have an opportunity to decide where we stand on the issue.

I propose that we make the system fairer and ease the controversy by securing the following three compromises from the Tories:

1) Ensuring jobseekers aren't misled into voluntary work schemes.

Although the scheme is voluntary, many jobseekers report being misled by Job Centres. Some are given a vague promise of "a week's training followed by a guaranteed interview", only to find after the week that they're committed to the scheme and have no way to opt out. Others are told more directly that they have to accept a work experience placement or lose their benefits.

Now the government hasremoved sanctions for opting out, this change isn't quite as desperate as it was before. We should still push for it, though. If a jobseeker does four weeks of unpaid work in the hope of a paid job that was never there, then they're going to, quite rightly, feel conned.

Solution: Ensure that jobseekers are fully informed about what these voluntary placements involve, are fully aware of their rights to refuse a placement or withdraw from it, and are given an accurate idea of the prospects of it leading to paid work.

2) Ensure that mandatory work pays the minimum wage.

As well as voluntary work experience, Job Centres can also force jobseekers to take up unpaid placements like in the Mandatory Work Activity scheme. The idea is to get the long term unemployed working again, to foster working habits and increase their experience and employability.

The problem is, forcing someone to work for less than the minimum wage is going to be a humiliating, rather than constructive, experience. In addition, the main reason for unemployment right now is a lack of jobs due to the recession. If being unable to find work isn't frustrating enough, how about then being forced to work for less than minimum wage? It's little wonder this has made people angry!

Solution: If we're going to coerce someone into working, we need to, at least, make sure that they're paid the minimum wage. We could do this by limiting their hours so their unemployment benefit (JSA, housing and council tax benefit) matches the minimum wage for their hours worked. Or, perhaps, give them a top-up payment for any additional hours worked. - So long, as they received the minimum wage for their work.

3) Ensuring these rights and safeguards apply to all jobseekers.

Government Job Centres aren't the only ones administering voluntary and mandatory work placements. Private providers, through the Work Programme, are also able to administer such placements. We need to make sure that these rights and safeguards extend to all jobseekers, whichever scheme they're enrolled in, including those in the Work Programme.

I am proposing an amendment that will add a paragraph to the policy paper, adding these proposed solutions to party policy. I believe that these changes would make the work schemes a lot fairer on jobseekers, and thereby ease the controversy surrounding it.

For this reason I ask you to support this amendment to the youth unemployment policy paper at conference.

If any delegates would like to support it, please send your name and membership number to drh4321@gmail.com

The wording of the admendment is:

After line 31 insert:

"Except to strengthen the protection of young people from being forced or misled into unpaid work, in light of recent controversies over various government programmes, by the addition of a new paragraph after 3.3.4 of the policy document and renumbering, to say '3.3.5 When volunteering or work experience is offered or expected, to ensure that: i) before being enrolled onto a voluntary work scheme jobseekers are given full information about it; including what it involves, their rights of refusal and withdrawal, how many paid jobs the placement company are offering and how many jobseekers/volunteers will be competing for them. ii) mandated work pays a minimum wage either by limiting hours to match the jobseeker's unemployment benefits or by topping up the difference. iii) these rights and safeguards are extended to all jobseekers, whichever scheme they are enrolled in, including those being handled by external Work Programme providers.

* Daniel Henry is a member of Leicester Liberal Democrats. Having spent time on benefits in the past he can fully emphasise with claimants who hit the roof when facing the prospect of being forced to work for less than minimum wage