Ipswich 2015: Can Ben Gummer improve the town?

Ipswich: an economic wasteland, high welfare reliance and stuck back into the early 90’s. Unemployment falling on one hand, on the other hand a new centre as an emergency measure to tackle youth unemployment is introduced! Ipswich’s Canary Wharf-cum-Monte Carlo looks like the aftermath from World War 2. Emphasis to push this has turned the town centre into what looks like the fallout from a Nuclear meltdown incident. 

A Touching Plea for the Work Programme.

The Void posts on this letter to the Guardian,

You report that the coalition partners are looking to make changes in the Work Programme in their manifestos (Lib Dems widen attack after bedroom tax victory, 8 September). We agree improvements can be made. Much has been learned about about how to support the long-term unemployed over the last few years, particularly during a time of recession.  However, it is important that all politicians remain committed to helping the long-term unemployed back into sustainable employment.

Since 2011, the Work Programme has helped more than half a million people into work. Of these, more than 300,000 are already in long-term employment. This is a win-win for taxpayer, employers and, crucially, jobseekers themselves.

As employers we believe that the commitment of politicians to employment support – whether the Work Programme or a different scheme – must continue. We are asking for all politicians to put aside their difference and to put the long-term interests of the country and jobseekers first.

It’s worth scrolling down the list of parasites profiting from free labour who use this letter to  plead for their cash.
Paula McCarthy Domus Healthcare,

Simon Wilson Intelling

Adrian Swain MAS Landscapes

Andrew Grant Major Energy

Andrew Levesley Building and Property Maintenance

Anita Adams MTL Group

Ash Sawney Ocado

Clare Beasley Drayton Manor

James Thompson e-achieve

Mark Burley Square Orange Associate

Rachel Blake Rotherham Council

Stuart Forrest ICM (Global)

Warren Bennett Assist Recruitment

Fiona Mcbride Jurys Inn

Lise Evens K-10

Lloyd Silver Crossfold Electrical

Martin Cox Leigh Tec Solutions

Melissa Zagara Cre-namic Security

Muhammad Imran Wyeth Security Services

Alison Jackson Caremark

Barbara Anderson Genistar

Braam Theron Homebase

Debbie Pierson Kingdom Security

Dennis Phillips Timpsons

Elizabeth Gilmore-Jones Llandudno Alliance

Gerald Shervington Atlas Washrooms Systems

James Norrie Nationwide Event Support

Janet Lanza Hairways

Jay Zaman Cineworld Cinemas

Larry Berkowitz Bluebird Care

Nazmul Sumon Stag Treorchy

Paul Merriman Kiln Park

Paul Rhodes Pilkington Glass

Ray Mason Lloyds Bank – General Insurance

Richard Hainsworth City and Guilds

Rob Webb Gap Personnel

Ross Savage Trackwork

Simon Williams RPQ Inns Ltd – The Grapes Hotels

Steve Butler Ideal Mobile Solutions

Steve Dalton Nico Manufacturing

Sue Taylor WEPRE Villa Homecare

Victoria Nupen Experts in Media

Ollie Bennellick Armada Tube and Steel

Anette Dolan Bath Antiques

Karen Mercer-Tyson Select Sandwich & Coffee Co

Barry Jordan Bowden Derra Care Home

David McKay Bellcome Call Centre

Lee Hannan BAM Facility Management

Luke Edwards South West Laundry

Melissa Nichol Merson Signs

Nareen Owens Clyde Valley Housing Association

Neil Hunt Dove Project

Daniel Hobbin My Claim Solved

Carole Swanton Poppies

Ian Gaskell Poundland

Mark Bamford Poundworld Retail

Kirsty McHugh Employment Related Services Association

A quick glance shows that  sellers of cheap goods to the poor, Poundland, get on the list.

A quick thought – the studies showing how useless the Work Programme has been would fill a Homebase warehouse.

Johnny comments,

The last signatory on the list may reveal one explanation for how this strange initiative came about.  Kirsty McHugh is the Chief Executive of the Employment Related Services Assocation, or ERSA for short.  This is the trade body established to lie on behalf of the welfare-to-work parasites like A4e and G4S who run the Work Programme.  Just last week they published a breath-takingly dishonest report making wild claims that no-one believed about how much money the Work Programme is saving the country.  It seems likely that this latest letter was co-ordinated by ERSA as part of a shabby PR campaign designed to convince the DWP to keep giving welfare-to-work firms billions of pounds of our money.

What is Rotherham Council doing on it?

Rachel Blake, “Senior Economic Development Officer at Rotherham Borough Council

Past

• Policy and Partnership Officer at Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership

• Work and Skills Board Manager at Rotherham Borough Council.

You’d have thought Rotherham Council (Labour) had enough on its plate at the moment.

Beyond the Work programme what do these organisations and companies think of the new workfare scheme?

Here is what Ipswich Borough Council (Labour)  says about workfare,

Ipswich Borough Council will not take part in Government unpaid work schemes

Ipswich Borough Council has confirmed that it will not offer unpaid work under the Government’s ‘Help to Work’ schemes, ramped up versions of which came into force at the end of April.

Under the schemes, known as ‘workfare’, there are mandatory work activity and community work programmes in which benefit claimants are placed on 30-hour a week jobs without pay and with the threat of their benefits being removed. The mandatory work activity programme is for 4 weeks and community work placements for 6 months.

It has also emerged recently that there could be sanctions for those who refuse to take a job on a zero-hours contract.

Campaigners have been calling for the government to remove the schemes, which they say are not working and which lock people deeper into poverty.

Today Ipswich Council has stated it will not be participating.

Council Leader David Ellesmere said:

“As a council we aim to be a good employer. That’s why we pay our staff the Living Wage and why we don’t employ staff on zero hours contracts.

It’s right that if someone can work, then they should. But they should also be paid a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

The effect of the Government’s unpaid work schemes will just be to undercut the wages of people already in work, adding to the cost of living crisis already affecting families in Ipswich.”

 

 

 

 

Ipswich Labour Party (and Borough Council) Against Workfare.

fwd from
John Cook
Secretary/Agent
Ipswich Labour Party
www.ipswich-labour.org.uk

Ipswich Borough Council will not take part in Government unpaid work schemes

Ipswich Borough Council has confirmed that it will not offer unpaid work under the Government’s ‘Help to Work’ schemes, ramped up versions of which came into force at the end of April.

Under the schemes, known as ‘workfare’, there are mandatory work activity and community work programmes in which benefit claimants are placed on 30-hour a week jobs without pay and with the threat of their benefits being removed. The mandatory work activity programme is for 4 weeks and community work placements for 6 months.

It has also emerged recently that there could be sanctions for those who refuse to take a job on a zero-hours contract.

Campaigners have been calling for the government to remove the schemes, which they say are not working and which lock people deeper into poverty.

Today Ipswich Council has stated it will not be participating.

Council Leader David Ellesmere said:

“As a council we aim to be a good employer. That’s why we pay our staff the Living Wage and why we don’t employ staff on zero hours contracts.

It’s right that if someone can work, then they should. But they should also be paid a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

The effect of the Government’s unpaid work schemes will just be to undercut the wages of people already in work, adding to the cost of living crisis already affecting families in Ipswich.”

end—

Comment: This is a good reason why we like Ipswich Labour Party.

Liverpool, Ipswich, follow the lead!

Ipswich Borough Council to terminate Snobs Coffee: increases the Ipswich unemployment count

Probably the biggest hot debate topic in Ipswich right now is Ipswich Borough Council’s decision to virtually evict Snobs Coffee from the Town Hall.

At Snobs Coffee our aim is to create the highest quality espresso in the county. No fuss, no extras-just milk and beans. We are currently taking residence inside the Ipswich Town Hall and when we can, we are seen at events and festivals throughout Suffolk.
People need coffee: from students studying for exams to those people needing a hit to give them the urge and reason to go to work after a long weekend. For festivals, for daily pleasure or for no reason at all, Snobs Coffee is there to give you flavour, the hit, the joy and the passion.

Suffolk has always been a county of producers, so why look elsewhere for our ingredients? At Snobs Coffee we grind only locally roasted coffee and steam only locally farmed milk, bringing you an exceptional coffee from this side of the border. This means we can work closely with other small businesses to bring you the highest quality coffee in Suffolk.

Never leave a cup half empty. Always leave satisfied.

Snobs Coffee is the public cafe based in Gallery One at the Town Hall (up the steps; straight forward) created by an Princes Trust enterprise started by local entrepreneurs Abigail Curtis and Stephanie Larkin.

It didn’t seem that long ago since this temporary pop-up cafe was made permanent due to the sustainable success it created from pretty much an unloved little-used public space right in the heart of the town centre. 

Ipswich Fit for 21st Century: Lack of Infrastructure

Ipswich Fit for 21st Century: Lack of Infrastructure

The argument regarding the £25m bid recently won for Ipswich as part of a multibillion Central Government package for transport infrastructure goes on and no mention of Tesco Plc contributing to the plans. Part 1 of Ipswich Unemployed Action’s feature on Ipswich Fit for the 21st Century looks further into the lack of infrastructure and therefore raises big questions and criticisms of the proposed plans.