EZ LIFE
gReeds off our backs
On
December 6th, coinciding with the Nice demonstration, People Not Profit
held a demonstration backed by local branches of the P.C.S. ( Civil service
union ) against Reeds in partnership, the private employment agency that
runs the Employment Zone. (EZ)
The Employment Zone is based on the premise that the private sector is
more efficient, cost effective etc than State owned public services, with
all the old arguments that the free market, if left alone, will provide
for everyone. The terrible irony being that it is the nature of capitalism
itself that creates unemployment. Overproduction, unceasing competition
between companies ( who needs 37 different washing powders. ) Workers
simply discarded in times of economic crisis. Lives, villages, cities
destroyed. And Reed in partnership are making a huge profit from all of
this.
In Hackney, East London, Reed pocketed £250 Million from New Deal applicants
who found jobs without any help from the gREEDS. This is no partnership.
It is stealing taxpayers money.
At the moment the Reed scheme is compulsory for all those in Merseyside
over 25 and unemployed longer than 2 years. The compulsory element , means
that those claimants affected will have personal advisers from Reed, will
have benefits paid for by Reed, and may have their benefit stopped by
Reed if they do not accept the first job.
In the manic rush to stigmatise the unemployed it has been forgotten that
no one actually enjoys unemployment. We know life is hard enough without
all this shit? Unemployed people go to colleges, do unpaid voluntary work,
and remind those in work what’s in store for them if they don’t do what
the’re told.
Indeed, another terrible irony is if this scheme comes to its full fruition
it will mean massive job losses amongst Benefit workers in the existing
Employment service and Benefit agency.
The Liverpool demonstration of December 6 was extremely vibrant, colourful
and angry. It resulted in Reeds managment, a company that refuses to recognise
unions, calling in a represantivr of the the P.C.S. Union wondering who
the hell these people were with drums, whistles, shaky things and a banner
that read “ Reeds: No Corporate slavery.” When Reeds managers surely saw
the Nice demo on the t.v. the next day a shreik of recognition was uttered,
“ It’s them. We are everywhere. Contact: PeopleNotProfit for more info.
