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Times will change, promised Minister Tony Abbott in the aftermath of the Commonwealth Budget, “people can no longer lose their job, go into Centrelink, go on a benefit, disappear into the system to emerge years later as part of a permanently alienated underclass," was his statement in a press release published on his website on the occasion of the Budget release.

Minister Vanstone cannot be the ‘fairy godmother’ she wants to be, as she stated in the Senate Hansard on 23 May 2001: "In my dreams, would I like to be the fairy godmother that could give everybody what they wanted? Yes I would!" she said.

We believe dreams can come true and would like to see the Minister in a tutu with delicate fairy wings hovering above the senate chambers! As the permanently alienated underclass we have many dreams, maybe Amanda can wave her magic wand ?

We are dreaming of:

Respect and dignity

Secure shelter, food, and employment

Access to health care and education

Opportunities to show what we can produce, if given a chance, to make a meaningful contribution to society.

Who are we to have such dreams? We are the unemployed, underemployed, older, iIndigenous, migrant, single parents, people with disabilities, sick and injured people and our children and our families.

While we are in these situations we are committing the crime, according to our 'fairy godmother' and the ‘good shepherd’ of employment Tony Abbott, of not contributing enough to the nations tax vaults.

Mind you, we are paying GST, other consumption taxes, levies and user pay fees, although from the money the government has given to us to survive and barely cover our costs. The most hideous crime we are committing, is being excluded from creating more profits for some.

Our punishment is ongoing reduction of

living standards,

access to health, education and other services such as legal aid,

ability to appeal decisions affecting us, etc.

Our punishment is, at the best, silence about injustices perpetrated, or at the worst being excluded from the rights ordinary citizens enjoy, such as privacy, freedom from slavery, and choice of work and working conditions.

Have the ALP or the Greens stated that they will withdraw the excessive fines for the ‘misbehaviours’ of the ‘permanently alienated underclass’ (quotes of Tony Abbott)? Have the Nationals or Pauline Hanson come to the defence of this quite large minority of voters?

About 30% of eligible voters receive some form of social security benefits and none of them was pleased!

The Democrats have made a comment in regards to punitive measures which wreak so much havoc in our communities. Natasha Stott-Despoja stated: “The Democrats will not stand by and see Welfare Reform used as a disguise to further penalise the unemployed, target disability support pensioners or stigmatise Australians because they are welfare recipients.” (press release Natasha Stott-Despoja, 23/05/2001)

We are waiting for the ALP and other parties to back this statement. However, we believe that ‘further penalise' in this context should be understood to mean the complete eradication of the punitive measures resulting from obligations of the Activity Agreements, including those existing currently for young, Indigenous and unemployed people.

We are expecting clear statements from all political parties, which indicate the will to:

Stop punishing the most vulnerable in our society,

Create real jobs,

Completely eradicate punitive measures arising out of Activity Agreements between Centrelink, other associated parties and the customers, who come there to get assistance;

Completely restructure Community Work and Work-for-the-Dole:

Community work will be associated with the program of Correctional Services, which allows people to work off their fines instead of going to prison; Work-for-the-Dole denigrates social security payments and indicates a different class of workers with less rights;

Any worker rendering services should be paid and work under the same conditions, including access to worker’s compensation and award conditions similar to trainees, apprenticeship, or on the job training, plus work under Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare regulations;

Establish and expand existing proven effective programs such as JPET for young people and the JET program for single parents, plus develop other programs to assist people with disabilities and improve existing and develop additional programs for the long term unemployed;

Develop effective job creation programs by calling on social enterprise, co-operatives and cottage industry developments driven from within the regions;

Expand child care places and reduce fees to make it more affordable. Many women have opted out of working, as it cost them more to pay for the childcare and transport to work than to live on a pension and look after the children themselves.

Establish consultation processes which include affected parties, and pay us for our expertise as other consultants would be paid. At least remunerate our costs, including those of acceptable representation, training for our advocates, transport and other costs arising from research, publications and consultations with our constituencies.

We have yet to be invited to any government related advisory bodies, networks or local development councils, policy making bodies or to talk to political parties.

The time for an alliance of all social security beneficiaries has come. Let us show them that we count!

UPM against Poverty Inc.

e-mail: mobak@ozemail.com.au

The Budget for the Unemployed

While there were a few ‘goodies’ amongst the initiatives in the Budget and the announced welfare reform, most of it was bad news for unemployed people. It sounds good, the ideas can work, but not under a mean spirited government which listens to US experts in welfare reform.

The Earnings Credit Scheme improves the return to work slightly (by about $24.– per week) and a personal case worker at Centrelink may prevent unfair breaches. But they will come thick and fast under the new regime, which will include single parents, possibly some people with disability and possibly all those in Community Support Programs.

Bad news are hidden in statements and budget figures like the $932 million savings expected (half of the budget of welfare reform) over the next four years. Case management means a stringent, stream-lined process which catches everyone who signs up as looking for employment: for three months unemployed people can try to find a job themselves, after no success they will be forced to undertake Job Search Training and if after another three months they are still out of work, they are off to Work-for-the-Dole or Community Work. No more volunteering it seems, because that was unenforceable.

Budget 2001 - At a Glance

The Commonwealth Budget was released on 22 May 2001. Many had hoped it would bring some relief in regards to rising payments, tax benefits for the ‘battlers’ and initiatives to create jobs. We also knew it would outline the future direction of welfare reform. And it did. But not many are pleased.

Of the $1.7 billion dedicated to welfare reform, $932 million will be saved over the same period of time, due to improved compliance measures and debt recovery. The Budget states that much of these savings will be recovered through fortnightly reductions of payments and debts to be repaid over several years by their customers.

The savings amount to around 15 million if the costs of implementation is considered. The above costs only cover the Department for Family and Community Services and do not consider the costs of introducing and managing the costs of compliance measures to other Departments such as the Department for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business with their Job Network and Community Work Coordinators.

‘A Fair Go for Mature Age Workers’ for example, introduces annual interviews for people on Mature Age Allowance, Partner Allowance and Widow Allowance. This is done under the cover of ‘encouraging people to access assistance to help them back into the workforce’ and will cost the government $103 million over the next four years.

What does all this mean for unemployed people? Did we get anything positive out of the budget? The good news is that all people on social security benefits who are looking for work can now bank earning credits. This was originally a scheme introduced under the previous Labor government and abolished by the Liberals in 1997. Unemployed people can now save up $24.– for every week, they have earned less than $31.– so that once they get a job, their benefits will not be reduced until the amount they have saved is used up (up to $1000.-).

Another good news is the introduction of an incentive payment of $20.– per fortnight to those who work on improving their language and literacy skills in approved programs. And it will fork out $111 million in training credits to mature age unemployed, people who have worked for the dole (after they have done their service) and those in Community Work placements. Let us know if you find any good training course for $800.– which improves technology or business skills. People with Disabilities seem to receive a good deal of support, $177 million, for education assistance, employment assistance programs and other measures.

However, $65 million will be provided to improve Centrelink assessment of claims for Disability Support Pension and Newstart (Incapacitated). In other words this money will be provided to reduce the eligibility as there are too many people on Disability pensions. The pilot project for this new assessment tool has started already and will continue throughout 2001.

The Government promises $177 million over four years for 30,000 extra Job Search Training places, 16,500 extra Work for the Dole places and community work placements for 35,000 job seekers. In addition the funding will assist the 60,000 job seekers in their last week of Work for the Dole or equivalent hours of community work with resume development, references and updating job seeker skills. That is $177 million wasted on creating a slave market for government services instead of creating real jobs.

The biggest welfare reform initiative announced is the Government’s ‘Australians Working Together’ program. Apart from above mentioned initiatives the core of the program are its standardised Mutual Obligation requirements for jobseekers receiving Newstart Allowance aged up to 49 years. Similar conditions will also apply to single parents, whose youngest child has turned 12 years of age.

From 1 July 2002 those aged up to 49 will be required to undertake Job Search Training after three months of unemployment. After six months of unemployment and at least annually thereafter, those aged 18 to 49 will be required to undertake community work or work for the dole (200 hours for 18 to 20 year-olds, 240 hours for 21-39 year-olds and 150 hours for 40-49 year-olds), 130 hours of part-time paid work, 100 hours of study or an activity from the Mutual Obligation menu over 26 weeks. Work for the Dole will be the default for those aged to 39 should they fail to choose an activity themselves. The default for 40-49 year-olds will be referral to a Community Work Coordinator.

And Temporary Protection Visa holders who, from 1 January 2002, apply for Special Benefit and are of workforce age will be required to meet the activity test requirements and other allowance conditions; and strengthened review and compliance requirements.

Control of incorrect payment and fraud:	Estimated savings in mill.	Estimated cost in mill.
Newstart	$ 828.50	$ 513.50
Carers	$ 6.14	$ 16.40
Disability Pension	$ 72.67	$ 220.40
Aged pension	$ 81.00	$ 222.80
Total	$ 988.31	$ 973.10

from the Commonwealth Budget Papers published on the web site of the Department for Family and Community Services.

www.dfacs.gov.au

Minister Abbott: Good Shepherd of the Unemployed?

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State Budget SA - Compare these Expenses!

Our State government was also not very inventive and creative in regards to job creation. To illustrate on what this government is willing to spend our taxpayer’s money, we have drawn up the following comparisons from the SA State Budget:

Compare these expenses	With these
Renovation of 990 Housing Trust houses at a cost of $23.1 million — providing $18 million for the construction of 165 new dwellings, $3.9 million crisis accommodation and $7.8 million for Aboriginal housing of international standards Total for public housing: $52.8 mill -	Continuing work on the $85 million extensions to the Adelaide Convention Centre Total: $ 85 million
Development Activities: $4.68 million has been allocated to assist development activities, particularly through targeting assistance to key growth areas. The taret is to achieve a minimum of 700 employment and training outcomes. • Assistance to Regions: Over $3.86 million has been allocated to assist regions, with a particular emphasis on continuing to devolve funds to regions. The target is to assist at least 1800 people. Total for job creation assistance: $ 8.54m	• $18.5 million in 2000-01 to progress the establishment of a world class national wine centre and the development of a rose garden of international standards • continuing Government reform: – information technology industry development initiatives ($11 million) - Playford Centre ($3 million). Total for Wine Centre, Rose Garden, and Playford Centre $ 21.5 m Total plus IT reform $ 32.5 m
Assistance to Individuals: Nearly $2 million has been allocated to assist people, with a particular emphasis being placed on Aboriginal apprenticeship placements across South Australia. In addition the Government will continue to target mature-aged unemployed. Nearly 1000 people will be assisted. ($2000 per person, but who will get that money?)	• $3.77 million in support of the Regional Development Board Framework providing an increase of $750 000. ($3.77 million to people sitting around, planning, while getting paid already for what they are doing?)
• $9.6 million for the upgrade and improvement of education facilities • $11.95 million to upgrade and improve regional health facilities over two years • $6.23 million to provide housing for people in need • $5.5 million for the Regional Development Infrastructure Fund targeting areas where infrastructure requirements are impeding Development Total health, education, regional development and emergency housing: $ 33.8m	•Business Assistance: $18.2 million has been allocated to assist business development activities through the provision of incentives, rebates and subsidised business advice. • $16 million to reduce the cost of petroleum fuel for all users in regional South Australia Total Business Assistance and Fuel Rebate: $ 34.2 m

One can clearly see where the priorities of the State Government lie: prestige, economic growth at all cost, especially the taxpayer’s costs, handouts to business and industry and the consultants, and spending on overseas’ trips and promotions to advertise the state, their cheeky policies of privatisation and to remedy their policy mistakes.

Ask your state politicians if they know, how much money the Commonwealth cost the states a result of their savings through breaching people! Ask them why they agreed to spend more money on the Convention Centre than on public housing!

For more information on the budget visit the Commonwealth Government entry web site, which has links to the states and all Departments.

It also has an e-mail list with all your favorite politicians.

Write frequently, don't forget to protect your interests and privacy.

Tell them what you think about their priorities.

Visit
http://www.aph.gov.au

We meet every
last Tuesday of the month from 1 – 3 pm
at the Torrens Building, Rm 2 220 Victoria Square (corner Wakefield Street)
Adelaide

All welcome!

Have a look at the web site
of the Australian National Organisation of the Unemployed
ANOU: http://anou.cafeprogressive.com

Views from the Coal Face:

Dear UPM!

Today I had the 'pleasure' of attending a post budget ministerial debriefing re. Employment Services. I left there feeling a bit sick and it wasn't because of the sumptuous breakfast laid on for my suited brethren.

The Community Support Program I work in deals with the most vulnerable and beaten members of the 'job-seeking' pool. Let me provide some examples of the people I work with:

Middle-aged ex-public servant who, having suffered numerous breakdowns, can no longer cope with the lunacy of the system. (a sensitive, caring and intelligent man who is trying to rebuild a sense of community in his local area, no DSP elligibility).

Late twenties, with a history of abuse, drug use & a chromosomal abnormality. Hated the world and needed space to get his life in order, (a sensitive and caring man who is currently building a social network).

Numerous people who see angels, read minds, fear witches and/or feel the power of the lord (most of these people are simply trying to maintain their housing and avoid being victims of street assaults) The strength of the CSP has been its quasi-voluntary nature.

Participants have reported in numerous reviews that the greatest benefits are the space and support provided by CSP workers, space in which real progress can be achieved. The current Employment Minister (impelled by the Tory reading of the McClure report) has decreed that the CSP will no longer be voluntary. It may be that we will have to start breaching these people for 'non-participation'.

I had one client, who took ten months to speak to me in more than mono-syllabic grunts. It took that long for him to overcome his fear and trust me.

When I am compelled to breach these amazing, resilient survivours I will quit 1/6/2001. [author known to Editor]

The Unemployed should Organise

Unemployment appears to be a non-issue as far as the Howard Government is concerned. There were no policy measures in its latest Budget to create jobs, just more punitive measures against the unemployed. In fact, the Budget even predicts an increase in the level of unemployment.

Nationally, there are now seven unemployed people for every job vacancy. This means that even if every job vacancy was filled there would still be hundreds of thousands of people unemployed. These figures, of course, do not take into account the huge number of people who are underemployed. Anyone who works more than "one" hour per week is classified as employed in the statistics. This should raise questions about the true extent of unemployment.

The latest Budget measures reflect a continuing attempt by the Howard Government to shift the blame for unemployment on to the unemployed themselves. All the measures the Government has introduced since taking office have been designed to address the supposed failings of the unemployed rather than create jobs. These supposed failings have been "manufactured" by the government with the help of the mass media in order to discredit us (remember the Paxtons?). We have heard various Government Ministers talk about "job snobs"; or that the unemployed lack a "work ethic"; or "self-esteem"; or that "incentives" are needed to "encourage" them to take up job offers

Having manufactured these failings, Government policies are then designed to address them. This makes it look as if the Government is actually doing something about unemployment. Work for the Dole, for example, is not about teaching the unemployed new skills. Rather, it's about such things as instilling the "work ethic" in the unemployed and building their "self-esteem". In other words, it's about addressing the supposed failings of the unemployed that the Government and the mass media have manufactured.

This approach of course helps to justify the Government's increased punitive measures against the unemployed. It also helps to stigmatise the unemployed, thus acting as a disempowering mechanism which prevents them from raising their voices in protest at the punitive measures used against them.

Rather than passively accepting our lot, we need to organise politically so that real change can come about. This will only happen when they understand unemployment not as some kind of personal failure (as the Government and the media would have us and the wider community believe) but as the Government's failure to meet its own "obligation" to provide work for all.

Bill can be contacted at: futureworkau@yahoo.com.au

To the Chairperson!

I was encouraged recently to hear that the Trade Union Movement is showing signs of an increasing concern for unemployed workers. The price that has been paid to improve conditions for the working class in the 'lucky country' has not had too much trickle-down effect of comparable improvements in conditions of the modern day underclass of unemployed.

It would seem obvious from the many and profound effects of the contemporary increase in technology, that a broader grass roots solidarity is essential if humankind is to continue to distinguish itself from monkeys and machines.

Brendan Dempsey 7/6/2001