Howard plan punishes young people
By Francesca Davis
In his state of the federation address on January 26, Prime Minister John Howard announced a massive expansion of the work for the dole scheme.
Originally a pilot scheme involving some 1400 young people — volunteers and conscripts — the scheme will now force 20,000 young people between 18 and 24 years of age into compulsory work.
Now all 18 to 24-year-olds will have to participate in training programs or community service, or relocate for work, if they want to keep receiving benefits after six months. Young people who breach their "obligation" face penalties such as losing 18% of their benefit for 26 weeks, or being cut off the dole altogether.
The plan is reminiscent of the punitive approach to the unemployed in the 1930s. The government plans to create 44,000 places in government-funded activities.
The benefit to the unemployed is dubious. Voluntary work, training and community service take time away from looking for a real job, and do not necessarily provide useful training. Moreover, because there will not be enough places for all unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds, the remaining young jobless will have to relocate to keep receiving benefits.
The scheme does not create jobs, but allows young unemployed to be used, mostly against their will, as cheap labour. Young people will have to work full time for below award wages in an area they do not choose and which may not be relevant to their job aspirations.
Neither does this scheme lead to a job. At the end of the placement, it's back to the unemployment queue. Working for the dole does nothing to solve unemployment — but it does bring down the official figure, which is currently 8%. This is a major concern for a government in an election year.
The compulsory scheme is part of Howard's overall offensive against welfare recipients. It is an attack on young people's rights and the rights of the unemployed in general.
In the last two years, the government has forced some 20,000 public sector workers onto the dole queue and cut $1.6 billion from labour market programs. Now it is blaming the unemployed for their predicament.
According to the federal education and training minister, David Kemp, "In return for financial support ... it is fair to expect individuals to improve their job prospects, their competitiveness in the labour market or contribute to their local community". This is called "mutual obligation".
The obligation appears to be a one-way street, however. The government seems to feel absolutely no obligation to guarantee secure, healthful and decently paid employment to all citizens. And most dole recipients have already paid or will in the future pay for their benefits through their taxes. Why should they be obliged to pay again by doing unwaged community service work?
While the government's scheme has the potential to undermine award wages and conditions for workers of all ages, and is a direct attack on youth rights, there has been minimal opposition from other parties in parliament.
Last year, Labor let the scheme through the Senate; "opposition" leader Kim Beazley has even claimed that Howard's ideas are based on Labor's Working Nation programs. The Democrats have opposed a compulsory work for the dole scheme, but supported the pilot voluntary work program.
Howard claims he has a lot of support. But it's not coming from young people who will, most likely, have to leave family and friends to relocate, with no guarantee of proper training or a real job.
Nor is it coming from those working without a guarantee of protection from occupational health and safety regulations, workers' compensation or anti-discrimination laws because, legally, they are not employees. The pilot scheme, which had expected some 10,000 to volunteer, received only 1400, of whom 46% were conscripted.