Motion: A call for action on workfare

This branch welcomes Unite's commitment at Conference in 2012 to boycott all workfare (or 'work-
for-your-benefits') schemes.
This branch notes:
Tens of thousands of eole across the country! includin" members of our "rowin" Unite
Community Union! are bein" forced to work for no ay on workfare schemes! under threat
of losin" all financial suort for u to # years (throu"h benefit sanctions).
$enefit sanctions (stoa"es) ha%e massi%ely increased in recent years and are bein" used to
cut the social security bill by the back door&
The number of benefit sanctions in the year to 'etember 201# was ()*!(+0! the
hi"hest since ,obseekers -llowance was introduced in 1../.
The number of sanctions for sin"le arents 0umed from 1!#*0 in 200(! to 20!+(0 in
2011.
The se%erity of sanctions has escalated& benefits can now be stoed for u to three
years.
The threat of sanctions is so se%ere! that no action re1uested by the ,ob Centre can be
considered non-coerci%e. 2orkfare schemes include those which carry the direct threat of
sanctions! and those where the threat is %ia a referral to a mandatory scheme if you refuse to
'%olunteer'.
3any emloyers are usin" these schemes to a%oid ayin" wa"es! and e%en relacin" aid
staff with this forced unaid labour. 4n 2011! workfare was effecti%ely used to 'union-bust' in
the 2 'isters food comany& a factory where workers had "one on strike was closed down.
-nother was oened and staffed with 100 workfare lacements.
-mon" other threats! work-for-benefits 5staff5 can be sanctioned if they refuse to cross a
icket line.
2here there has been an industrial resonse to the threat of workfare! this has been effecti%e
in stoin" its imlementation&
trade unions challen"ed $ri"hton 6 7o%e City Council's lans to take workfare
lacements and stoed them from doin" so
the threat of strike action in a food manufacturin" lant in $lackool was enou"h to
see off the threat of workfare bein" introduced there
This branch believes:
2orkfare schemes are a threat to members! both those in aid work and those at threat of
bein" sent on the schemes. 2orkfare undermines wa"es and conditions for all.
This forced labour not only in%ol%es a massi%e down-ull on wa"e le%els. 4t directly attacks
the ability of Unions to act effecti%ely.
This branch resolves:
To call on Unite to take all ossible stes to brin" an end to emloyers' use of unaid work-
for-benefit schemes. This includes&
acti%ely informin" industrial members about the schemes
ro%idin" all necessary suort to worklaces where workfare has already been
introduced or is threatened
encoura"in" res to "et re-emti%e a"reement from emloyers not to articiate in
workfare schemes before workfare is threatened
suortin" community members to challen"e workfare 8 includin" with suort for
le"al action where necessary
challen"in" workfare and sanctions in its ublic communications! no matter which
olitical arty is suortin" them
lobbyin" the 9abour :arty and the TUC to oose workfare and sanctions
sharin" resources and information with other unions to suort each other to
challen"e workfare
suortin" the work of claimants' or"anisations like $oycott 2orkfare to challen"e
workfare
To brin" a motion to re"ional and national le%el with this intention.
To call on Unite to adot olicy a"ainst all benefits sanctions.
To call on members to boycott the or"anisations takin" art in this attack on the ri"hts of
workin" eole.