Post by Banjo on Jun 4, 2015 15:38:15 GMT 7
On 1 July 2015, the Abbott Government will introduce legislation that will effectively give privately owned and operated Employment Service Providers the unprecedented power to fine unemployed people for missing their Job Search appointments without a 'reasonable excuse'.
The Australian Unemployment Union have three major objections to this harmful legislation:
It gives the privatised Employment Service Providers more powers
A number of these Employment Service Providers – including the so-called ‘charitable’ organisations – have been exposed as adopting an overly punitive approach to the unemployed. The Government should be investigating these institutions for its harsh treatment of the unemployed, not giving them more powers and cutting 'red tape'.
It pushes the unemployment further into poverty
Considering the already inadequate rate of Newstart benefit – which is $280 per fortnight below the poverty line – this punitive measure will only serve to push the unemployed further into poverty and ultimately away from employment.
Going by the current rate of Newstart recipients being breached for failing to attend ‘Job Search’ interviews with their Employment Service Provider, this change will financially penalise approximately 1.4 million Newstart recipients per year.
This punitive legislation is a shameless attempt by the Federal Government to avoid their responsibility to solve the ongoing unemployment crisis, in which there are 11 Job Seekers competing for every job vacancy.
Its against the law
Despite the fact that the Government insists this power will be in the hands of Centrelink, in reality it will be the Employment Service Providers making the decisions on the ground. This is in direct violation of Social Security Law which clearly states that "Employment Services do not make compliance decisions under social security law". The AUU is currently launching a legal challenge on this basis.
Our 'Fight the Fine' Campaign
The Australian Unemployment Union will be running a national campaign against this harsh new law on 1 July, and have already organised events in Melbourne and Adelaide.
If you are interested in helping us organise a 'Fight the Fine' rally in your local area on 1 July, please contact us by email or on facebook. The more volunteers we have, the better equipped we will be to fight this cruel attack on the unemployed.
Any assistance you can offer us in our campaign, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated.
Fore more details on this area, please consult our FAQ on our website.
Its time to fight back!
www.facebook.com/australianunemploymentunion