{"id":656,"date":"2011-04-21T20:18:50","date_gmt":"2011-04-21T20:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk\/?p=656"},"modified":"2018-01-01T20:22:39","modified_gmt":"2018-01-01T20:22:39","slug":"unemployed-win-against-a4e-bullies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk\/?p=656","title":{"rendered":"Unemployed Win Against A4e Bullies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty\u00a0(ECAP)\u00a0have won a significant victory\u00a0for the\u00a0unemployed in\u00a0the war\u00a0against\u00a0New Deal provider A4e, thanks to the courageous stand taken by one brave unemployed ex-miner, who despite threats\u00a0and\u00a0benefit suspension stood up to A4e for over a year!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This infamous\u00a0multinational have been denying the unemployed\u00a0who are forced to attend their compulsory workfare schemes the right to be accompanied by the representative of their choice.\u00a0 (A4e make a fortune from the taxpayer by running these schemes on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions).<\/span><\/p>\n

Department of Work and Pensions benefits decision makers have now ruled against A4e in four cases where A4e sought\u00a0to sanction\u00a0a claimant because he took\u00a0a rep from Edinburgh Claimants, affiliated to\u00a0ECAP, to a meeting.\u00a0 A4e have repeatedly refused to recognise Edinburgh Claimants representatives.\u00a0 There has been a total disregard for claimants’ basic human rights from both A4e manager Dorothy Hewat and from Dione Weir, Head of Contracts for Glasgow-based Wise Group, who subcontract to A4e.<\/p>\n

A4E and WISE GROUP – PARANOID BULLIES<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unemployed ex-miner Peter has been\u00a0accompanied by\u00a0Edinburgh Claimants reps at interviews at A4e.\u00a0\u00a0Peter decided on this course of action after A4e falsely accused him of photocopying material not related to his job search and threatened to have his benefits stopped.\u00a0 The paranoid bullies of A4e and Wise Group didn’t like this – on\u00a0 three occasions managers Hewat and Weir\u00a0\u00a0phoned the police to evict Peter and his Edinburgh Claimants rep from their Earl Grey Street\u00a0 office!\u00a0 Not content with this, the vindictive\u00a0duo then applied to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to get Peter’s Jobseekers Allowance\u00a0suspended.\u00a0 At one stage Peter had lost six weeks benefits and was\u00a0told by the DWP that he would be without benefits for an additional six months<\/span><\/p>\n

ECAP demanded that the DWP inform A4e and Wise Group that Peter should have the same rights when attending\u00a0A4e as he would at the Jobcentre \u2013 where\u00a0claimants right to be accompanied by the rep of their choice has been won, and is now recognised by the DWP Chief Executive’s office.\u00a0 But Third Party Provisions manager John Scott and his boss, District Manager Jim McGonigle, ignored the fact that A4e were carrying out a contract on behalf of the DWP, ignored claimants’ rights and said it was up to A4e who they allowed on their premises \u2013 in fact they acted like it was A4e and Wise group rather than the DWP who were in charge!”<\/p>\n

BENEFITS RE-PAID – A4e LIARS EXPOSED<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty at A4e’s Edinburgh offices at Earl Grey Street<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

But Peter and ECAP weren’t intimidated.\u00a0 Peter continued to attend\u00a0 A4e interviews with Edinburgh Claimants reps.\u00a0\u00a0ECAP regularly demonstrated inside and outside A4e’s premises, distributing leaflets to encourage the unemployed to stand up for their rights.\u00a0By March 2011, the DWP decision makers office ruled that Peter must be repaid all the JSA he has lost, apart from the original two weeks sanction, which is going to an appeal hearing.\u00a0 Further they have ruled against A4e’s applications for sanctions in all three cases they\u00a0submitted in 2011.\u00a0 All\u00a0 four cases involved appointments which A4e refused to hold\u00a0in the presence of Edinburgh Claimants reps.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally,\u00a0the DWP have overturned Peter’s six months sanction, ruling against A4e in yet another case, in which A4e adviser Graham Payne\u00a0lied to get Peter’s benefits stopped.\u00a0\u00a0Even though Payne had agreed to postpone Peter’s appointment on 17th December last year \u2013 when Peter had to assist his Mother who was recovering from cancer surgery \u2013 Payne went on to apply for a sanction against Peter on the\u00a0pretext that\u00a0he didn’t attend the appointment.\u00a0 When Peter and ECAP pointed out Payne’s lies to Wise Group boss Weir, she refused to investigate.\u00a0 Now the DWP decision vindicates Peter.\u00a0\u00a0 Payne’s account – which bosses Hewat and Weir backed up – was a tissue of lies.<\/span><\/p>\n

SAY NO TO SLAVE LABOUR<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

ECAP say:<\/span>\u00a0\u201cThe implementation of the new Work Programme will intensify the drive to force\u00a0us, the\u00a0unemployed, to work for our benefits – so the need to organise and stand up for ourselves is greater than ever.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe should all take great heart from the courageous stand taken by Peter.\u00a0 This shows that when we join together and support each other we can win.\u00a0 If you are being forced to\u00a0attend\u00a0these leech-like companies profiting from taxpayers money and our poverty \u2013\u00a0contact us, and together we can fight back.\u00a0 And if you are in a job – remember\u00a0workfare is a direct attack on your wages and conditions.\u00a0Work-for-your-benefits schemes were developed enthusiastically by the last Labour Government and are now being pushed forward and refined by the ConDems.\u00a0 We need solidarity between waged and unwaged to\u00a0fight the vicious attacks the state is making on us all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

www.flickr.com\/photos\/62261498@N07\/<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\r\n\t\t