11.30am – 2pm Mon 13 Sept, A4e 34 Earl Grey St near Tollcross Edinburgh
Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty are organising a demonstration against compulsory work for benefits – this is an attack on the unemployed and workers alike. Flexible New Deal provider A4e are denying unemployed people forced to attend their premises the right to be accompanied to interviews. They have even called the police to try and stop us accompanying claimants – but we won’t be intimidated!
We say NO
– TO COMPULSORY WORK FOR BENEFITS
– TO BENEFITS SANCTIONS
– TO CASUALISATION AND ATTACKS ON WORKERS’ RIGHTS
– TO CUTS IN BENEFITS AND SERVICES
– TO A4e DENYING THE RIGHT TO BE ACCOMPANIED AT INTERVIEWS
After a certain time signing on unemployed people are forced to attend private companies like Wise Group, A4e, Ingeus and JHP under the so-called Flexible New Deal. This is supposed to help the unemployed. But it is rare to find unemployed people who praise the provision at these companies. Rather, people complain of a total lack of any useful courses, training or facilities and denounce the totally disrespectful way unemployed people are treated by these companies.
The New Deal is not only an attack on the unemployed, it is an attack on workers in jobs. If employers can get new dealers forced to work for nothing then this undermines wages and conditions for all workers. If the government get their way the current 4 week compulsory work placements will become much longer. We all have to organise to stop workfare.
Wise Group/A4e at Earl Grey Street are refusing to permit claimants to be accompanied to interviews there. The bullies have called the police to evict claimants and accompanying ECAP members from their offices and are reporting claimants to the DWP to try and get their benefits cut.
Another private company, JHP are doing the same thing – trying to bully claimants onto slave labour work placements, trying to deny claimants representation by ECAP, and raising benefits doubts against claimants. This despite the fact that ECAP accompany claimants to appointments at the Jobcentre, at the Council, at benefits medical exams etc… Advocacy/ representation/ accompaniment is a basic human right recognised in most areas of society – except by petty dictators at A4e, JHP and co.
We are continuing to accompany claimants to interviews at A4e and JHP – we are not intimidated by bullies like A4e boss Dorothy Hewat or JHP’s Andrew Aitken calling the police.
BENEFITS VICTORIES
We have been giving solidarity to unemployed people forced to attend A4e and other private companies under the Flexible New Deal. We have successfully forced the DWP to agree to repay benefits to a claimant sanctioned after A4e reported him to the DWP.
After we complained, the Jobcentreplus District Managers office sent a written apology to this claimant. They admitted they had broken their own rules by cutting his benefits without giving him the chance to put his side of the story. We suspect they have wrongly cut the benefits of many people on the word of A4e or other providers without the claimant being able to put their case. If this has happened to you do get in touch with us to reclaim your benefits.
We have also successfully stopped two other attempts by A4e to get the same claimant’s benefits cut. These last two episodes arose after A4e refused to hold appointments with the claimant, as an ECAP rep was accompanying him.
And we have stopped New Deal provider JHP’s attempt to get the DWP to cut the benefits of a claimant attending their York Place office.
Now New Deal provider Ingeus, who sub-contract to JHP, have agreed to recognise the right of unemployed people to be accompanied to interviews at Ingeus, and we are pressing them to force JHP to recognise this right too.
This all goes to show that if we stick together and support each other we can successfully stand up for our rights.
THE RICH ARE TO BLAME
As we all know the greed of the rich and the chaotic nature of their profits system has resulted in a financial crisis. They want us to pay for this through massive cuts, including huge cuts in benefits, e.g. they are going to cut Housing Benefit by 10% for people who have been unemployed for a year, and they are trying to force people off disability benefits. Recently Paul Reekie, an Edinburgh writer, committed suicide after his Incapacity Benefit and Housing Benefits were both cut off.
We can’t let them get away with this! Let’s get together to take some real action to stop these injustices! Don’t let the rich and their lying media divide us, don’t believe the propaganda against immigrants, against benefits claimants – whether we are in a job, on the dole, an immigrant worker, a long-time Edinburgh resident… our real enemy is the rich, the politicians and the whole exploiting capitalist system.
Come along to this demonstration, contact Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty. Isolated we can be bullied but together we can turn the tables!
