Coalition to tell unemployed to 'get on your bike'

Coalition to tell unemployed to 'get on your bike'

www.telegraph.co.u k

Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, discloses the move in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph today in which he outlines proposals to make the workforce “more mobile”.

The controversial plan echoes the words of Norman Tebbit in 1981 when he told the unemployed to “get on your bike” and look for work.

It is part of tough action to cut spiralling welfare bills and tackle Britain’s record deficit.

(visit the link for the full news article)

It's an idea that is good on paper, but logistically speaking, I have several problems with this.

Employment is not a garaunteed fact, even if you do move an area that magically has more job vacancies, which is a pretty rare thing in this economic climate.

The "mover" will be given top priority on council housing lists. So what actually happens to families in need of housing who have been on that list for years? They get bumped down the list repeatedly. Personally, I cannot afford to buy my own home, and renting would throw me into debt, so council housing is a must. Under this new scheme, although I am in employment in my own area, someone could come into this area and get a house instantly.

Moving is a MAJOR upheaval for anyone, and if it is taken into account that most people will have families, that means changing everything. And for what? A job that doesn't exist?
I have the feeling that this will only help a minority of people, and also that it will be a mandatory step if employment lasts a certain time. We will have people flitting back and forth across the country just for a job, creating family divisions and uneccesary stress.

Really, I can't see this benefitting the unskilled unemployed workers, which make up a good portion of the jobless.

www.telegraph.co.u k
(visit the link for the full news article)

Sounds like this man is living under an old paradigm.

I don't know how it is in the UK, but in the US the days of going "door to door" asking for a job are pretty much over,

unless it's a very small business of the sort that still hangs a sign in the window. Rarer and rarer with all the chains everywhere, and usually these businesses are family run and employ family.

Medium-sized business won't even let you in the door.

If you do try doing this, they'll generally tell you "not hiring" or to apply online. Then you never hear from them again.

Networking (knowing someone who knows someone) or luck are about the only way people here are getting jobs these days.

reply to post by invetro


I am sure one day one soceity will have the brillant idea of making people pay for jobs and rationing them even more!
Here in America Obama will not extend unemployment benefits. There are not many jobs available.
Even if you did go on your bike to find a job they tell you to apply at their web site. So what't the point.
Someone once told me they have so many applicants for one job that they just make them apply over the internet so they can week out most of them.
I have onlyt been called 2 times by a job that I applied for on the internet. Every other job gave me a form letter that said you are not qualfied but gave no reasons. More than likely it was because I was overqualfied.
There are not many jobs for those with degrees.
In fact on the news once a manager stated she would not hire anyone with a degree. It is real tough in today's society.

Originally posted by ~LucidityNetworking (knowing someone who knows someone) or luck are about the only way people here are getting jobs these days.

That's how I ended up with a job. I can't see myself uprooting and moving to another part of the country just to do what I've ended up doing now, which is cleaning, but I am grateful to have a job at all.

Another aspect of this is that some companies only hire part time for the minimum wage, or on temporary contracts which I've been on a few of over the last year. Are people to be expected to move areas for those? It's ludicrous.

reply to post by dreamseeker


It's more than similar here. I went through untold amounts of vacancies before I even got a call back, and out of six months of trying I got two call backs. Those companies interviewed me and then said no anyway for undisclosed reasons. I know what the reason is. They have hundreds vying for one position, and the prize goes to the one whose face fits.

I don't think our governments are willing to look at this issue rationally or consider the impacts to the least well off or those who have lost their jobs. We are unimportant.

reply to post by invetro


How dare Mr. Smith tell the unemployed to put down their pints and crisps, and actually look for work! I think he ought to do just what the Yanks are demanding, just continue sending the free dosh and get out of their business!

I've been unemployed for 3 months or so recently, I exhausted job hunting online and calling places, so I got on the bicycle, went and beat some bushes, it took me 3 days to find something, I start Monday, they checked my references and even gave me my desired pay. Fact is, you'll never find anything unless you try. I live in Florida, and the job market around here isn't so good.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


Hi. What's up. Nice avatar. Ignorant much?

I'm going back to the very same employer that laid me off three months ago due to a leg injury that they didn't want to give me health insurance for... sign o' the times I guess. Doing it only because it's the only viable alternative I have to continue collecting unemployment and fishing for jobs that will never be... the above posters are right, whether you like it or not. Networking and being "in good" with employers are the only way you'll get hired in this country... and being "in good" has nothing to do with education, experience, drive or motivation... it has to do with who you know.

On the side, I'll also add that this whole get off your arse and bike nonsense is a load of crap. I'm recovering from a leg injury... and I live 20 miles from where I'll be working. Granted this is the U.K. we're talking about, but recent posters in "America is evil and BP thusly had nothing to do with the oil leak" have said time and again that we should all just hop bike to avoid looking like evil bastards.

This is a strawman argument against real change because those elected have no idea how to fix the mess we're in... so it must be our fault.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


That's more than a little patronising to people here who are actively looking for work.
Also, we're a lot smaller than the US and with thousands being laid off work each month every area is in the same position.

www.statistics.gov.uk...

Jobs are available, and quickly snapped up by local people relative to the job locations.

This wouldn't be an issue if economic growth was being encouraged here, but with the recent cutbacks even more jobs are being lost.

Honestly, it's like asking people to hop on one leg after taking both legs away.

It's easy for someone to tell others to look for work when he has a comfy secure job himself.

But the fact is, is that with every job you have plenty of people vying for that one job. No matter what there will always be people who don't get that job.

I'm unemployed but not on benefits, as i cannot claim benefits as i'm studying full time. I don't have a rich family so i don't get much support.

I have absolutely no money at the moment, i have barely enough food in my cupboards to last me another week.

On top of this, I live in a town that has hundreds and hundreds of students, so finding a job is very tough.


Prior to this:
It took me a long time to get to university because the job centres didn't like me studying part time at college WHILST seeking work. So i was faced with the choice of either finding a mundane job OR studying but not both, as i couldn't claim benefits IF i was studying.

The whole system is backwards and i hate the way us people who DO want work but cannot get it, are treated like the people who don't want work.

How about if the job centres stopped punishing people for attending college to gain skills and stopped sending the unemployed to 'job training workshops' which are patronising, pointless and a total waste of money.

Now things are getting even harder in the UK, the tories are making it harder for school leavers to get into university, they are also planning on raising the education fees and course fees aswell as demanding that those who wish to find work travel to another area.

What the hell is going on?

Why are we being punished for being from poorer families? Do the tories just want the privileged families to get an education, whilst the poor families become unthinking drones, working for some rotten corporate bastards who pay buttons and class English people as second rate citizens , putting us second on the list to foreign labour?

It's not just the tories though, New labour screwed us and the liberals have betrayed us. It's sick.

[edit on 26-6-2010 by mr-lizard]

It's a joke, a few year ago adverts played on the tv and radio saying there was a massive shortage in tradesmen. So people then spent 2-3 years learning there trade, only to qualify to no jobs.

Then you goto the job centre which has nothing todo with jobs anymore, they put you on some stupid course paying you more money + staff to run the course, making cv's and confidence building for jobs that dont exist.

Even to the point now where if you go on the new deal course its mandatory to go on a work placement which includes, 2 week unpaid work.

For a qualified tradesman this is a pure joke. Not sure who said it but if its not voluntary its tyranny that's simply what its come too.

I thought they were supposed to be abolishing such schemes instead of inventing new ones ? Who's going to be administering this one, then ? Jobcentre Plus ? Not them, surely, they're the ones facing a 25% -30% cut in their admin budget over the next 4 yrs.

It's not as easy as IDS thinks. First you've got to find unemployed people willing to move. Then get their applications in for this scheme and off to the new council. And when a home finally does come up, you'll have to invite that person & his family to view the house, quite an expense if the house is at the other end of the country ... for that no doubt he'll need a crisis loan or some other emergency payment to pay for his travel & accommodation costs.

Then he'll need a grant for removal expenses, a grant to bring his new house up to the standard of his old one (new wallpaper, carpets etc etc) ... the list's never endless.

And what's going to happen ? He won't bother going to his new job, he'll get sacked ... and he's swopped some slum oop north for a rather desirable council house in Kensington & Chelsea.

Result ! For him, not for the taxpayer. Total waste of money, imho.

DWP run a scheme right now, anyway ... you can get a crisis loan to pay for a months rent up front, most councils run a scheme to pay the deposit ... there's nothing to stop unemployed people moving now ... and it's arguably a better use of public money right now to support the private rented sector.

reply to post by slylee


I agree. I was sent on a job training week as you mentioned and it consisted of sitting in a room for 2 weeks, being told that unemployed people are 'unhealthy' and we were told how to maintain our hygiene levels. I nearly punched the guy, but managed to keep my cool, as otherwise i'd have had no money at all.

We were then told to use the TWO computers (between about twenty people) to print out our CV's and then send them off to random people in the Yellow pages. It didn't matter what our skills, trades or positions were. They treated us like diseased cattle.

Absolute scum.

Originally posted by LeBombDiggity
DWP run a scheme right now, anyway ... you can get a crisis loan to pay for a months rent up front, most councils run a scheme to pay the deposit ... there's nothing to stop unemployed people moving now ... and it's arguably a better use of public money right now to support the private rented sector.

So... Because of the lack of jobs in the area, unemployed people have to wave goodbye to their families, friends and girlfriends and move somewhere else because the Government say so?

Why not use the god damned money to develop new industries and growth in the areas of high unemployment instead of forcing people to pack up and leave?

reply to post by mr-lizard


It's going to be a voluntary scheme, according to the article. There's no element of coercion or benefit sanction for refusal to participate.

That "god damned money" would be better in people's pockets, not on even more wacky government schemes.

Because they're trying to put a band-aid on an amputated arm.

Originally posted by LeBombDiggity
reply to post by mr-lizard

 

That "god damned money" would be better in people's pockets, not on even more wacky government schemes.

I totally agree. People should be valued and not made to feel like we are just there to fund some corporate machine.

They are trying to turn the US into China and China into the US. They have basically pulled up stakes here in the US with moving all the corporations to China. They want us ridding bikes just like in China.

Quote from Warren Buffett :

United Sharecroppers of America
Mr. [Warren] Buffett said in the last 10 years foreign powers and their citizens had accrued about $3 trillion worth of US debt and assets such as equities and real estate. At current rates, he predicted that in another 10 years’ time the net ownership of the US by outsiders would amount to $11 trillion.

“This annual royalty paid [to] the world would undoubtedly produce significant political unrest in the US. Americans … would chafe at the idea of perpetually paying tribute to their creditors and owners abroad. A country that is now aspiring to an ‘ownership society’ will not find happiness in — and I’ll use hyperbole here for emphasis — a ‘sharecropper’s society.’

Link :badattitudes.com...