Posted: April 30th, 2013 | Author: editor | Filed under: Call to action, Charities, Name and shame | 1 Comment »
Age UK: still using workfare
Does Age UK support workfare or not? They certainly didn’t want to discuss the issue at their For Later Life Conference although they had plenty to say about poverty, inequality and equal rights in ‘tough times’.
Back in 2012, Age UK head office said there was ‘no involvement’ in workfare schemes and that they were now advising their stores to wind up their association with government employment programmes. But in recent weeks Boycott Workfare has had a spate of tweets from people saying they’re being forced to ‘volunteer’ at Age UK or face sanctions. Age UK in East Sussex appears to be taking part in MWA (Mandatory Work Activity), which requires people to work unpaid for 4 weeks or lose benefits.
Contact Age UK to raise your concerns now!
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 16th, 2013 | Author: editor | Filed under: Call to action, Charities | 3 Comments »
YMCA: still backing workfare despite all the evidence (Photo: Joelsp/Flickr)
Everyone already knew it, but now Work Programme providers have themselves admitted that they’re failing (though of course to them this means they should be paid more for doing less). Online pressure and protests pushed Homebase to make another statement on its use of workfare but “no further commitment” to workfare still leaves paid hours devastated in at least one store, and tens of people working without pay. Lord Freud, architect of welfare reforms, George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith have all been served ‘eviction notices’ by UK Uncut. Liverpool have also kicked off a week of action. Workfare and other welfare reforms are under pressure, as ministers consistently lie to justify them.
In the second of our ‘Workfare Wednesday’ callouts, help keep up the pressure on another workfare exploiter: YMCA. In recent weeks, Christian charities using workfare have come under fire for failing to note that “The Labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luke 10:7).
YMCA’s latest statement on workfare defends their use of forced unpaid workers, and ignores the fact they are responsible for pushing people into destitution and possible homelessness through sanctions which can last up to three years. Help persuade them to join the list of charities who will no longer have anything to do with workfare. Help keep up the pressure today!
YMCA England are on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/THEYMCA
Their President, Bishop John Sentamu, has spoken out against workfare in the past. Contact him on twitter
or the charity direct
Phone them on 020 7186 9500 or their shops hotline on 0845 601 0728.
Email: shop@ymca.org.uk or enquiries@ymca.org.uk
They have a youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/ymcaengland
To find contact details of your nearest YMCA shop visit: http://www.ymca.org.uk/find/ymcashops
Contact YMCA International to tell the world what this organisation is doing in their name to the poorest and already destitute in the UK @ymcaint or on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ymcas
YMCA have a range of fundraising arms including a Fitness Training company on twitter @ymcafit and facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ymcafit
They also run a corporate conference centre called Dunford House 01730 812381 sale@dunfordhouse.org.uk http://www.facebook.com/dunfordhouse
Please note: Whilst it’s well worth trying to speak to a manager or senior individual if possible please bear in mind most people taking calls/emails will be low paid retail/admin staff and could even be on workfare themselves. Be aware that is an offence to make telephone calls or send communications which are threatening, indecent or offensive.
While you’re at it, you may also like to contact another Christian charity and major workfare exploiter, Salvation Army too.
Posted: March 21st, 2013 | Author: editor | Filed under: Call to action, Charities | 4 Comments »
Some charities have adopted an ethical position on workfare. Let’s make the others follow!
Given
today’s evidence that there are targets to increase sanctioning people’s social security at all costs, it is time to put the charities who help that happen on the spot.
In the last month, thanks to your action, five charities have said they will no longer take part in workfare schemes: Sense, PDSA, Capability Scotland, Sue Ryder and the Red Cross. The Children’s Society has also pledged not to use workfare.
This means the workfare schemes which rely on charity placements are on the rocks! Already before the latest withdrawals, the government complained: “The high profile withdrawal of placements from a number of larger charities meant a sharp reduction in placements.”
One in five people sent on mandatory work activity in charity shops face destructive sanctions (benefit stoppages) of three or six months. The charities still involved are profiting from making people poorer. Let’s tell them it’s time to pull out!
RSPCA
Last month, fellow animal charity PDSA realised that it needed to show a bit more kindness to the human beings working in its shops. Time for RSPCA to do the same and stop using workfare!
Head office: 030 0123 0100
Facebook: RSPCA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/rspcauk
Flickr feed: www.flickr.com/photos/rspca
Twitter:
TCV
TCV (formally known as BTCV), have previously boasted of using 20,000 unpaid workers on various government schemes since the 1980s. They currently hold lucrative contracts with the DWP to deliver Mandatory Work Activity. The so-called charity have forced at least 589 people into unpaid work, often for private companies on this scheme alone.
This is on top of the countless people who have been forced to work without pay on their conservation projects.
Sue Pearson, a spokesperson for the charity, even boasts of how they have attempted to get round DWP rules which state placements must have a ‘community benefit’. Speaking to the Guardian, Pearson explains how claimants forced to work in a food preparation factory had been required to “gather up recycling materials” in order to meet DWP criteria.
TCV are the worst kind of workfare exploiters. As well as bullying people into working for no pay, they also put jobs and working conditions at risk by sending claimants to work for free in profit making companies.
Head office 01302 388 883
Email: information@tcv.org.uk
Find your local TCV Branch: http://www.btcv.org.uk/volunteer/index.html
Facebook: TheConservationVolunteers
Twitter:
Papworth Trust
Earlier this month, Papworth Trust told civilsociety.co.uk:
“Papworth Trust believes that by being involved in mandatory work activity, we can make sure that each work placement is as effective as possible for each disabled or disadvantaged person.”
Now tell them what you think of their use of disabled people on workfare!
A list of phone and fax numbers can be found here.
Email: info@papworth.org.uk
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/papworthtrust
Facebook: Papworth Trust
Twitter:
British Heart Foundation
Mark Thomas has spoken out against the use of workfare by British Heart Foundation: “As someone who fundraises and supports BHF (L2B bike ride regular) it’s gutting to see them join an exploitative scheme like Workfare. BHF involvement in Workfare has undermined my trust and commitment to them as a campaigning group. I would ask BHF to reconsider. If they wish to keep their public status as a charity that is automatically thought well of by the public then they should cease their involvement with Workfare.”
Following occupations and pickets in across the UK British Heart Foundation
announced they were “moving away” from workfare. Recently they declared they had withdrawn from the Mandatory Work Activity scheme. But they are openly declaring
on their website that they are still participating in the Work Programme – despite the fact that in December this scheme was extended to give providers the power to force many sick and disabled claimants on Employment and Support Allowance to work for nothing, or face sanctions.
BHF state on their site: “Our supporters are welcome to contact us directly if they have any questions about our participation in the scheme. Please email customerservice@bhf.org.uk“.
Don’t disappoint them, get in touch!
BHF Retail HQ – 01372 477 300
Head Office – 020 7554 0000
Customer Service Centre – 0300 330 3322
Facebook: BHF
Contact: http://www.bhf.org.uk/contact-us.aspx
Twitter:
YMCA
The YMCA released a new statement two weeks ago defending their use of forced unpaid workers, and ignoring the fact they are responsible for pushing people into destitution and possible homelessness through sanctions which can last up to three years. A rolling online picket has been called to persuade them to join the list of charities who will no longer have anything to do with workfare.
Phone them on 020 7186 9500 or their shops hotline on 0845 601 0728.
Email: shop@ymca.org.uk or enquiries@ymca.org.uk
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ymcaengland
Find contacts for your nearest YMCA shop: http://www.ymca.org.uk/find/ymcashops
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/THEYMCA
Tweet their President, Bishop John Sentamu, has spoken out against workfare in the past:
Twitter:
And if you’ve got a bit more time, why not get in touch with the Salvation Army, or some of the high street brands profiting from workfare too.
Posted: March 14th, 2013 | Author: editor | Filed under: Call to action, Charities | 5 Comments »
YMCA: still backing workfare despite all the evidence (Photo: Joelsp/Flickr)
YMCA released
a new statement on Friday defending their use of forced unpaid workers, and ignoring the fact
they are responsible for pushing people into destitution and possible homelessness through sanctions which can last up to three years. Yesterday a rolling online picket was called to persuade them to join the list of charities who will no longer have anything to do with workfare. Help keep up the pressure today!
YMCA England are on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/THEYMCA
Their President, Bishop John Sentamu, has spoken out against workfare in the past. Contact him on twitter
or the charity direct
Phone them on 020 7186 9500 or their shops hotline on 0845 601 0728.
Email: shop@ymca.org.uk or enquiries@ymca.org.uk
They have a youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/ymcaengland
To find contact details of your nearest YMCA shop visit: http://www.ymca.org.uk/find/ymcashops
Contact YMCA International to tell the world what this organisation is doing in their name to the poorest and already destitute in the UK @ymcaint or on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ymcas
YMCA have a range of fundraising arms including a Fitness Training company on twitter @ymcafit and facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ymcafit
They also run a corporate conference centre called Dunford House 01730 812381 sale@dunfordhouse.org.uk http://www.facebook.com/dunfordhouse
Join the Week of Action Against Workfare beginning on March 18th.
Please note: Whilst it’s well worth trying to speak to a manager or senior individual if possible please bear in mind most people taking calls/emails will be low paid retail/admin staff and could even be on workfare themselves. Be aware that is an offence to make telephone calls or send communications which are threatening, indecent or offensive.
Posted: March 12th, 2013 | Author: editor | Filed under: Call to action, Charities | 14 Comments »
YMCA: still backing workfare despite all the evidence (Photo: Joelsp/Flickr)
YMCA England have come out fighting in the name of workfare with
a new statement defending their use of forced unpaid workers on the Mandatory Work Activity (MWA) scheme. This follows
their slur aimed at anti-workfare campaigners in which they claimed that just a handful of people are opposed to workfare.
Whilst most ethical charities have pulled out or tried to distance themselves from workfare, the YMCA, along with the Salvation Army have happily adopted roles as Iain Duncan Smith’s cheerleaders for unpaid work.
This is despite the YMCA’s own president, the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, saying last year:
“By all means, pay companies incentives to employ young people, but do not take advantage of the vulnerable by using them as free labour.”
The YMCA are justifying their use of forced unpaid workers by claiming that some workfare participants have had a good experience with the charity and they have heard of ‘several’ cases where someone even got a job after attending the scheme.
What they are choosing to ignore is the brutal reality for those sanctioned. Those who refuse forced labour at the YMCA are plunged into immediate poverty with benefits stopped, sometimes for up to three years. Whilst they continue their involvement in this scheme, YMCA England are directly culpable for the poverty, desperation and homelessness of those who refuse to, or are unable to serve as free workers in YMCA charity shops. It is often those who face the greatest difficulties, people who may have a mental health condition, or face other difficulties such as homelessness or substance misuse problems, who find themselves sanctioned for being unable to attend workfare – the very people the YMCA would claim to support.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: March 7th, 2013 | Author: editor | Filed under: Charities, Info on schemes | 17 Comments »
Barnardo’s helped the government launch its workfare for young people. [Photo: Howard Lake/flickr]
Debenhams tell us that the workfare scheme they are involved in is “purely voluntary and in no way linked to the receipt of benefits”. We hear “Barnardo’s does not take part in mandatory work activity. Our position is that we are against the principle of benefits sanctions, having successfully lobbied the government last year to drop them for young people taking part in the work experience programme.” * One thing needs to be clear: the Work Experience scheme they refer to is not free of sanctions. It is workfare.
Last year after a huge public response to workfare, the government removed some of the sanctions from ‘Work Experience’, which is one of numerous workfare schemes. However, the idea that since then the Work Experience scheme has been purely voluntary is at best wrong, and perhaps deliberately misleading.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: March 6th, 2013 | Author: editor | Filed under: Action report, Charities | 17 Comments »
![The Red Cross suspended workfare after just a few people got in touch! What you are doing works :) [Photo: Andy Wilkes]](http://www.boycottworkfare.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/red-cross-andy-wilkes-300x196.jpg)
The Red Cross suspended workfare after just a few people got in touch! What you are doing works! [Photo: Andy Wilkes]
As 2012 came to a close we had reports of people being sent for 4 weeks workfare on the Mandatory Work Activity scheme (MWA) at British Red Cross. This was probably to fill the void left by the
spate of charities that pulled out in early December when workfare was rolled out for people on disability benefit.
Whereas the British Heart Foundation required a full year of online pressure, pickets and occupations of their stores to finally begin “moving away” from workfare, all the Red Cross required was a letter from a customer who had witnessed workfare in her local store. The Red Cross replied:
“I am sorry that the atmosphere in your local Red Cross shop has been unhappy of late and that there have been ‘volunteers’ who were finding it difficult to cope…
“In line with our fundamental principles our aim has always been to support vulnerable people in crisis and as such we no longer feel that it is appropriate to participate in a programme where sanctions might be applied that could result in an individual losing their benefits.”
This shows holding workfare users to account in any way you can does help bring down workfare! Join events in the week of action on 18-24 March, start your own or join the online protests that week and let Sally Army, YMCA, TCV and all the other workfare users know that “if you exploit us we will shut you down”!
Posted: March 5th, 2013 | Author: boycottworkfare | Filed under: Charities | Tags: YMCA | 8 Comments »
The YMCA have published this report from their Policy and Research department which was written around the end of January. The report contained a page on their participation in workfare, and we have sent them this letter in response to some of the points they raised.
Dear Jason and Mary,
We read your Policy And Research Update document (2013 issue 2) which talked about your involvement in workfare with interest and would like to respond to some of the points raised in the document.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: February 26th, 2013 | Author: editor | Filed under: Action report, Charities | 3 Comments »
Genuine volunteers welcomed the news on Sue Ryder’s Facebook page
For weeks people have told Sue Ryder what they think about them boasting of using workfare and their attempts to claim that mandatory work placements are voluntary. But yesterday, just hours after a rolling online action was launched, Sue Ryder announced a “phased withdrawal” from workfare schemes, showing how public pressure can influence charities.
It is a fantastic testament to people power that the charity say they will be withdrawing from all “mandatory back-to-work schemes”. It means that the Mandatory Work Activity scheme, which relies on charity and public sector placements, is made even weaker: Sue Ryder are the third charity to pull out in the last fortnight, following hot on the heels of PDSA and Sense. Already before that the government had complained that “The high profile withdrawal of placements from a number of larger charities meant a sharp reduction in placements.” Your actions are stopping workfare.
For Sue Ryder to end its dealings with workfare, it needs to make sure it doesn’t drop back to using the Work Experience scheme (as it is rumoured British Heart Foundation have done). The “Work Experience scheme” is only non-mandatory unless you turn it down, in which case this can be used as a reason to send you on Mandatory Work Activity. We know many people are wrongly threatened with sanctions if they do not take part: the Work Experience scheme is workfare.
We will of course be keeping an eye on Sue Ryder to ensure that they and their shops remain out of workfare, and if you are sent there or know a store which continues to use workfare please let us know. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: February 11th, 2013 | Author: editor | Filed under: Charities | 10 Comments »
Last week, we were contacted by someone who was shocked to overhear a Pinnacle People advisor discussing clients in public in high street charity shops, including a Children’s Society store. She told us:
“The Pinnacle employee used the words ‘Mandatory Work Activity’, ’30 days’, and then they all had a moan together about how silly it was that ‘these people’ can’t be ‘put to work’ cleaning up litter and drains and stuff, like they do in the US. In the previous shop the Pinnacle employee was talking about how ‘work experience’ is a way of catching people who’ve got jobs on the side that they aren’t declaring etc.”
Following a few emails and phone calls, that campaigner has achieved a public commitment from The Children’s Society that they do not use workfare. The Children’s Society say:
“The Children’s Society has a strict policy of not accepting volunteers who are on the DWP’s Mandatory Work Activity Programme. Only last month, a number of agencies wanting to place volunteers in our shops who are on the programme, were turned down.
“Our volunteers play a key role in supporting our work with disadvantaged children. All volunteering at The Children’s Society should be done by choice and under no obligation from any other agency.
Read the rest of this entry »
![The Red Cross suspended workfare after just a few people got in touch! What you are doing works :) [Photo: Andy Wilkes]](http://www.boycottworkfare.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/red-cross-andy-wilkes.jpg)
