BY RUTH GRAY
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand - More than 100 people took part
in an October 1 rally outside government welfare offices in
central Christchurch to protest draconian new measures against
unemployed workers that came into effect that day.
Widely known as the "work for the dole" scheme, new government legislation renames unemployment and sickness benefits as a "community wage." Recipients can be required to perform up to 20 hours a week of "community work." They will receive up to an extra $21 for this. At the same time, payments under the sickness benefit have been cut to the same level as the unemployment benefit. Tighter work-testing rules for those on the domestic purposes benefit (for single parents), widows benefit, and invalids benefit are to begin next year.
The Campaign Against People Last Economics (CAPLE) initiated the protest. In an interview with Prime, a local television station, CAPLE spokesperson David Small explained "Unemployment is a result of government policies, not people's unwillingness to work, and that's the real issue."
Small added that he was "also concerned that it doesn't just affect beneficiaries, it affects people who are in jobs as well. There is a real danger that employers and other groups won't employ people for real wages if it can effectively get free labor from unemployed people press-ganged into working for nothing." Trade Union Federation representative Paul Watson described the scheme as "essentially slave labor" in his address to the rally. Under the new law, those who refuse to do community work, who are late for work or a job interview by as little as 15 minutes, or who fail to work satisfactorily in the employer's eyes will have their benefits cut or stopped altogether.
The government wants welfare organizations, city councils, community organizations and schools to offer work under this scheme. Many such groups have already signed a pledge that they will not participate. Following the speeches, protesters marched several blocks to the Christchurch City Council offices to protest the council's support for the scheme.
Ruth Gray is a member of the Engineers Union.