DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived post-Murdoch era

No one should get something for nothing in this new society.

(Except employers obviously)

I don't think the UK is going to get its economy moving again by training people how to stock shelves at ASDA. Though at least if those people got paid there would be some money moving through the economy.

Well, if there are 'opportunities' for the unemployed at any private company they need to be paid for, in line with the law. So these people working for 30 hours a week should receive around £180 for that. If Tesco have work that needs doing, they can pay for it. Personally, I would make sure I 'accidentally' spoiled enough goods every day to make 'my' store Loss central.

In law, an unemployed person cannot be compelled to unwaged work for a private company and the amounts for JSA are, by law, the *minimum* that must be provided. No individual can be sanctioned without due process. The word of a benefits advisor against a claimant is not 'due process'.

wonder if they'll try this nonsense on my mum as she won her tribunal, probably on some blacklist now

Personally, I would make sure I 'accidentally' spoiled enough goods every day to make 'my' store Loss central.

Just giving £££s of shit away to good looking people is also an acceptable substitute.

Fuck, let's loot it instead

this isn't a new thing, I know someone who was carted off to Borders to work a 35 hour week for <£50/week (the under-25 JSA rate) in 2009. Got a job out of it too. THAT ENDED WELL.

After my year of 'unemployment' they tried to send me on some full-time training scheme too, at which point I said I'M STARTING A PHD AH FUCK YEEEEEEZ.

thanks dave for yet more society mending.

what employment "rights" do these unpaid slaves have?

and another situation: if you stack the shelves so shittily you get sacked by tesco does that mean you lose your employment benefit too?

And still unemployment has gone up.

An idea: the union Unite is offering 50p memberships to service industry workers, students and the unemployed as a kind of gateway to organised labour. This may create an obligation for Unite to lobby for the rights of both the unemployed and the waged, because this forced work thing will only continue to undermine wage levels for all low-paid workers if allowed to progress any further.

xp Wonder who's responsible for briefing otherwise - http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/aug/17/unemployment-figures-claimant-count

More likely they'll just refuse to employ Unite members, sadly.

Loony Left Union Leaders Launch Sick Recruitment Drive

LOL Matt, are you waiting for Cameron to ban union membership as 'gang-related activity'?

unemployed tried to join unite coupla months ago was told I could be an unemployed member but only if I'd signed up while in employment

This is a new initiative, I guess? Try again.

yep

xp Wonder who's responsible for briefing otherwise - http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/aug/17/unemployment-figures-claimant-count

― James Mitchell, Wednesday, August 17, 2011 9:08 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

lol at the first comment there. Really should have waiting an hour or so.

waited

30,000 'new' jobs are going to be created in the new Enterprise Zones though, doubles all round!

Pickles all round!

"Enterprise zones" sounds suspiciously like those "free trade zones" off the coast of like, Taiwan, where existing labor and safety regulations don't apply

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_trade_zone

or indeed those "special economic zones" like the Kaesong industrial region:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaesong_Industrial_Region

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/23/budget-2011-enterprise-zones-designed-to-encourage-new-investment

Doesn't actually sound like an inherently terrible idea.

"Godwin's Law" should be renamed "Heffer's Law":
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2026840/European-debt-summit-Germany-using-financial-crisis-conquer-Europe.html

I read a book about such UK zones that I remember being okay. Can't remember the author or title though...it'll turn up.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2027278/I-am-a-moron-clinging-to-a-nineteenth-century-model-of-the-education-system-claims-education-minister.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

shd be shot in both brains imo

Prime Minister David Cameron pitched in to help build a barrel raft with youngsters in Cumbria on a tour of an Outdoor Bound centre.

Mr Cameron met a group of 10 young people at the centre on the shores of Ullswater, in the Lake District.

The prime minister changed from a navy blue suit into jeans and a t-shirt before helping the group make the raft.

Camp leaders said the exercise was about teaching young people the value of hard work, trust and responsibility.

And when they run out of money for clothes, they can wear the barrel.

Can't wait to see the next manifesto:

1. Filled barrel in Cumbria with small child.

2. Compulsory jeans and t-shirt for all.
3. ???
4. Profit!

why didn't the kids push him into ullswater??????? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE YOUTH OF TODAY

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/23/budget-2011-enterprise-zones-designed-to-encourage-new-investment

Doesn't actually sound like an inherently terrible idea.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, August 17, 2011 1:06 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

It's not inherently terrible, I just doubt it will be particularly effective. And 30,000 jobs over X years is not very exciting - especially if these are just jobs moved from one place to another - which is what happened with Thatcher's Enterprise Zones (so it's not very original either). Also many local authorities have set up similar schemes in the past (see empty pieces of land with Business/Science/Enterprise Park signs on them). Also I'm always wary of loosening planning regs. Never ends up well for those who actually live nearby.

Camp leaders said the exercise was about teaching young people the value of hard work, trust and responsibility.

To be followed up with articles in the Mail about Why Don't Our Children Know How To Have Fun Anymore?

Now hopping in a barrel is a barrel of fun
But don't hop in if you want to be down, son
'Cause that could mean down and out as an action
What does it lead to?

liberal commie pinkos at the nyt at it again:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/18/opinion/wrong-answers-in-britain.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Thatcher's Enterprise Zones

We really are reliving the 80s!

Pupils who take 'traditional' A-levels should be given priority for university places

Don't they already get priority though, at least in terms of the "calibre" of institution they get you into?

yeah exactly - at my school we weren't allowed to take general studies a-level on the basis that no decent university would care about it (but bizarrely still had to take general studies classes) (i chose to do four a-levels instead to get out of that, so i have a french a-level instead of whatever knowledge i'd have gleaned in "life skills" and "computer studies" lessons) (this explains everything, in retrospect)

General Studies has ALWAYS been like that. Makes you wonder why they bother with it at all (oh yeah, it's easy and everyone does well in it and it buoys up the school's average grade).

At mine you could take General Studies A-level but only as a 4th A-level.

But yeah thinking back I also had to general studies classes anyway. I remember one about military doublespeak being quite interesting so I guess it wasn't a complete waste of time.

What is General Studies?

He's the lecturer in military doublespeak

I think we were supposed to do something called "Key Skills" as well. Might have been a GNVQ or some such.

I remember fobbing my head of sixth form off every time he asked me how my project was coming along, and then him being quite upset on deadline day when I was forced to admit that I hadn't started it because I thought it was stupid.

We had "Modern Studies" when I was at school, it was my best subject!

That was a proper subject though, traditional or not

What is General Studies?

― Duncan Disorderly (Tom D.), Thursday, August 18, 2011 10:22 AM (26 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

pub quiz with a spatial reasoning round, basically.

Makes you wonder why they bother with it at all (oh yeah, it's easy and everyone does well in it and it buoys up the school's average grade).

yep, my school would only let you do it if you got a C or better in the mock.