Election
2001
UPM's
How to Vote Card
Over the last six months
the Management Committee and members of UPM against Poverty developed policies
which we would like to see implemented over the next term of government.
These policies are available upon request. We also developed a questionnaire
for the main political parties to respond to in order to indicate, which
party is supporting our cause and which party has the best policies for
the unemployed and to create employment.
The results are not very encouraging for the two main players. However,
the Greens, Socialist Alliance and the Communist Party are all in full support
of our policies, the Labor Party supports someof them and many more than
the Liberals.
The Democrats have developed several policies in regards to what we would
like to see and are in general the most progressive after the Greens of
those parties in currently in Parliament.
After the collapse of many big companies, the loss of workers entitlements
and the general decline of the economy, one could assume that the major
parties would set out to develop policies which combat unemployment.
Breaching is another issue, the criminalisation of unemployment by punishing
it with forced labor is another. These are the so long awaited welfare reform
policies, with which both major parties agree. Although there seems to be
a moratorium on breaching, at least maybe a time of going softly during
the election campaign. However, if the Liberals will be re-elected, volunteers
will turn into community workers, Work for the Dole will be expanded (ok,
youll get a training bonus after six months of $500) and single parents
will be included before long in the Mutual Obligation Initiative with all
of its nasty side effects such as breaching.
There is no improvement on the asset/income test for Youth, New Start or
Carer Allowances and receiving a government benefit seems to become harder
for many vulnerable people with disabilities, who are more stringently assessed
for Disability Support Pensions and consequently jump the hoops of Newstart
Allowees.
What follows here is
a systematic overview of the main aspects of our policies and the approach
the different parties have indicated in their responses.
However, only the Greens, Socialist Alliance, the Communist and the Labor
Party responded to our questionnaire. Chris Gallus, Federal Member for Hindmarsh
for the Liberal Party, made time to meet with us, but was unable to answer
some of the questions, as she was not prepared. She admitted that she did
not answer any questionnaires, although she let people know in a letter,
that she was unable to respond. The Democrats promised to get back, but
got too busy. The Labor Party put two volunteers to work, which we appreciate,
but did not finish it in time for this newsletter.
Income Support: Socialist Alliance and the Communist Party would rather
see full employment than a handout to the unenmployed. Yet they, the Greens
and the Democrats agree that unemployment benefits ought to be lifted to
25% of male average weekly earnings. The Democrats and Greens consider moving
towards a tiered income support system which would eliminate financially
punitve measures by remunerating participation. The Liberals have no such
plans.
The Democrats, Greens, Communists and Socialists would abolish breaching.
They are also considering to exempt superannuation savings from the asset
test for mature aged unemployed.
Industrial Relations: The Greens, SA and the CP all support the introduction
of restricted overtime and the 35 hour week. The recent report of the ACTU
outlined the effect long working hours have on families abd the health of
the employees. Last year more hours were worked in unpaid overtime than
unemployed people could have worked. The motivation to deprive people of
their recreational time is the greed to forever increase profits for the
few.
The Labor Party so far is not supporting restricted overtime and the 35
hour week, although the union
movement is beginning
to campaign for it. The Liberals have sinister plans in regards to industrial
relations in general. There is no hope that the Liberals will regulate the
employment market to increase jobs. It costs too much.
The parties are divided along the same lines in regards to casualisation
of the workforce. Although recent legislation shows some movement towards
protecting casual employees, and the Labor Party indicated it would move
further to end the abuse of the casual labor force, there is still a long
way to go. There should be no casual workforce. Seasonal workers are obviously
needed in some industries, but when these workers work with some regularity
over longer than three months, they ought to be made permanent. Greens,
Socialist Alliance and the Communists agree with this policy.
Employment Creation: Without wanting to go into details of the Liberals
regional development programs, they have to be acknowledged. Unfortunately,
other than offering economic welfare to big business there are no new ideas
on the horizon.
The Labor Partys Knowledge Nation program promises to create jobs
in the education and research sector, increased spending on defense and
homeland protection, for the CSIRO and universities, more beds in aged care
and more teachers in schools all contri-butes to a few more jobs. But otherwise?
The Greens, Socialists and Communists have lots of other ideas to increase
employment including investment into alternative energies, green tourism
and agriculture, increasing the public service by ending the sales of public
assets and even repossesing privatised assets and services.
The Greens, Socialists and Communists support community based job search
services. Democrats and Labor want to see more accountability and an independent
monitoring body for the Job Network.
There is much more to say, read the parties policies and listen to the last
minute announcements! Then take your pick on election day.
PLEASE
COME TO THE AGM OF
UPM AGAINST POVERTY INC.
We need everyone to
attend, otherwise we may as well shut our doors.
We need active people
on the Committee. There is heaps to do.
Agenda:
Minutes from the Inaugural
Meeting
Annual Report: Chair
David Rigney
Financial Report: Treasurer
Trish Hough
The Situation after
Election 2001: Secretary Monika Baker
Open discussion to identify
future directions
Where:
Worldsend
Hotel, Hindley Street West, behind Uni SA
When:
Thursday, 6 December 2001, at 6:00 PM
How
much longer?
A message
from our Chairperson David Rigney
How much
longer before the burden of long term unemployment is lifted from our communities?
Both the Coalition and ALP continually demonstrate their inability to address
this profound issue. Comments made by Minister Tony Abbott (job snobs, career
unemployed), when he held the Employment Services portfolio, highlight the
disregard of the Howard Government for the unemployed and their unwillingess
to resolve this issue.
Economist tell you that a capitalist economy must have a pool of unemployed,
in order to exert more control over labour market costs. This policy creates
more wealth for the rich and more poverty for the poor. Protracted unemployment
is the major cause of poverty, crime, substance abuse, physiological addictions,
to name just a few of the symptoms of poverty which eat into the social
fabric of our communities.
Older citizens,
who live alone, live in fortresses built on fear, others in the community
blame migrants and refugees out of fear of there not being enough to go
around for the lack of employment opportunities. This fear is not logical
and is driven by government and media manipulation for self serving purposes.
The fact that capitalist economy governments accept that zero unemployment
cannot be attained and therefore pay compensation in the form of unemployment
benefits, is proof that successive governments have lacked and/or failed
in their various commitments to resolve poverty. Currently unemployment
benefits are 42% below the poverty line, not to mention the punitive measures
(breaching) which keep the unemployed in perpetual fear and increased mandatory
poverty.
France, in January 2000, legislated to lower the working week from 39 hours
to 35 hours per week and placed restrictions on working overtime. A recent
evaluation of this employment strategy (July 2001) has noted a substantial
increase in full time employment and predicts by July 2002, 500,000 new
jobs will have been created. The French have embarked on a strategy to alleviate
poverty by recognising the need for government to legislate the sharing
of existing workloads by curtailing unrealistic weekly working hours. This
is a policy the Un(der)employed Peoples Movement against Poverty Inc.supports.
Australians work the second longest hours in the developed world according
to research conducted by the ACTU. Weekly working hours have been on the
increase since 1981 and have increased by 76% for those working 45 hours
per week and 94% for those working 50 to 59 hours per week. The ACTU maintains
that weekly working hours have shown a marked increase since the Federal
Governments deregulation of industrial legislation (enterprise bargaining,
Australian workplace agreements) since 1996.
The ACTU is currently running a Reasonable Working Hours campaign
to lower the working hours for all workers. Placing agreed restrictions
on the working hours and overtime has the potential to create thousands
new jobs. The Un(der)employed Peoples Movement against Poverty Inc.
supports the ACTU in this campaign, but believes more could be achieved
by legislating for a 35 hour week and restricting the working of overtime.
Therefore the Un(der)employed Peoples Movement against Poverty Inc.,
as part of our ongoing WAR against poverty, will be conducting a campaign
for a 35 hour week and restriction of overtime. The Un(der)employed Peoples
Movement against Poverty Inc. will liaise with the Trade Union movement
and other community based organisations. To achieve this end, we will travel
across South Australia collecting the stories of unemployed people and exposing
the dire hardships they deal with in every day life.
The issue of poverty often has its roots in unemployment and the Un(der)employed
Peoples Movement against Poverty Inc. will make our political parties,
no matter what political doctrine they follow, take notice, and join with
the community to eliminate poverty.
The question how much longer is a commonly asked question in
day to day life, poverty is also becoming common as the divide between the
rich and poor widens. The Un(der)employed Peoples Movement against
Poverty Inc. wont ask how much longer , but will be demanding
equality in society, the right of all community members to full employment,
decent wages and standard of living. We demand our human rights to employment
and support be upheld. No discrimination on the grounds of ones economic
status. End the marginalisation and exclusion from important decision making
processes!
We are at WAR with poverty, not with guns, but armed with the facts, stories
and ideas. Others may argue that we have lost the right to be treated with
respect and dignity. Everyone has a right to dignity. We still have our
brains and voices. And some time to spare to make our voices heard.
Join us in the fight against poverty, isolation, injustice and inequality.