Quote ="Serge A. Storms"Damo, my son finished his A'Levels this summer - he got 2A's and B - he would like to be an accountant - but what is he doing - he is working for Wincanton in a distribution depot picking orders alongside the 30 Polish workers they took on that day. It is a job with a big company that might open up other avenues? Unless he is prepared to give something and show some willing why would the company?'"
Hand on heart, all the best to your son.
But there’s a big difference between a job that your sons doing and workfare that I did at ASDA. Would you like to see your son working for under £2.00 an hour whilst everyone else gets paid the national minimum wage for doing the same job?
Almost everyone who walks into a work place wants to get stuck in. Unfortunately not every employer wants to pay or play fairly as I found with ASDA. The outdoor storage place for example was a shambles when I went to ASDA. But by the second day it was decent thanks to the job I did with my fellow workfare colleague on it and it stayed like that till the fifth week I was they.
When I left he stayed on and guess where I last saw him?
Walking home from the job centre because ASDA didn’t want him. Yes he got a temporary position but a new guys took his place now. The same would of happened to me and I’m glad that I left whilst I did.
Quote Just because you cannot get your dream job doesn't mean life is at an end - you get stuck in and create your own opportunities. How many of us do the perfect job - virtually nobody - I would love to manage Leeds Rugby but because I can't I am not going to take my own life. The fact the girl killed herself say more about the girl than it does about society and its job market.'"
Vicky Harrison didn’t take her own life because she couldn’t get her dream job. She took her own life because she couldn’t get
=#FF0000a job including a job in Tescos. She’d probably took a job where your son is working. I’m sorry but job seeking needs to change dramatically because its simply not working.
At the end of the day I’m not willing to apply for a job I’m not going to get. I’m not willing to fill out an application form that probably won’t get me a job. But I’m willing to apply for a job that I’ll get and I’m willing to fill out applications that’ll land me a job.
All the job centre wants me to do is apply for three jobs a week. What’s the point if you don’t even get one of them?
At the end of the day I can fill in application forms all the time, but what’s the point if you don’t get a job after applying yourself 200 times?
Its not the case that I’m not willing to work, it’s the case that no ones willing to give me work. If this is the point then I don’t see why I should try for nothing. Just like Vicky Harrison tried for nothing.
Quote To say there isn't work out there is simply untrue, you just choose not to work - which is a disgrace and as an able bodied person you should be ashamed of yourself.'"
Ok so you might have me a job. Now I’m not going to make any assumptions and trust your opinion that this job pays and pays fairly. But how about the millions who are long term unemployed?
At the end of the day you can’t help everyone and not everyone has the ability to help themselves into a job and I’m one of them. I’ve completely lost faith because of the insights Ive gained coupled with the experiences I’ve got. Many more are the same and Vicky Harrison even took her own life.
But you want to know what really is a disgrace?
The job centre and their private suppliers that do everything other than help their clients into a job. Ok I’ll admit that these institutions have helped some people into a job. But as long as there’s the likes of me and millions of others falling by the wayside the system is failing.
I’d even go as far as saying that I’m failing as well. But the job centre hasn’t done anything other than give me welfare and detention centres (like A4E) to go to for been merely unemployed. These places where suppose to help me because I couldn’t help myself.
When I left my first job in 2008 I felt sick ringing up the job centre and asking them for help. I’ve been with them ever since and look where its got me. The reason why I was sick because I knew I found it difficult to find a job and I’ve seen people around me struggling to get employment.
Its probably not the best of mindsets that I have. But this won’t change until I have long term employment. Until then I shall do what I feel is best for me.
Quote So you think you should have to do nothing for your dole money - why do you think that? What contribution to society are you making for the money you are taking out - no wonder the vast majority of tax payers who fund the likes of you despise them. Perhaps if I didn't have to fund you my taxes would be less and I would have a little more to spend on my kids?'"
If you want a little more money for your kids then get more money. Don’t blame the likes of me for that issue. At the end of the day £200 a month that I get isn’t all that much. Its only because I can manage that money very well that I can afford to do the odd pleasurable thing now and again. But then there’s people who manage that £200 a month very badly indeed.
Is that my fault?
I think we all could do with a little more money to spend on our loved ones. But that money just isn’t they. If the likes of me didn’t get the meagre sum of £200 a month a lot of stupid things could happen indeed. I for one would take my darkest thoughts into action whatever they may be. That £200 a month is the thinnest of threads that’s holding a civilised society together.
Some people come out of prison and try to stay straight with welfare. But they just can’t cope with the lifestyle change that criminal enterprise could afford and welfare can’t. Thankfully I’ve never got into criminal enterprise but with no dole money I’ll have no choice and neither will millions.
All I want us a job but no ones been willing to give me one for the last few years. Unless it’s for under £2.00 An hour. You can steal that amount of money in less time.
Quote I have no objection to tax credits, supporting those unable to work but supporting the likes of you who has made a choice not to work is unacceptable to me. In Leeds there will be numerous agencies looking for unskilled labour paying at least minimum wage - I would bet a lot of money that not one of them has your name on their roster - looking for work Damo, you are doing nothing of the kind - as I said you should be ashamed.'"
I’m sorry but agencies have a bad reputation in long term unemployment circles. We just see them as two day jobs and then back on the dole. However I’m willing to leave my assumptions aside for this job you may have for me so I can be proven wrong and I hope I am.
Again I couldn’t find work. Its not that I’ve not been willing to do it. My past record in whatever will prove that.
Quote Wages cannot be forced down beyond the minimum wage - so once again your fight against the system by not sticking out the Asda job is a red herring'"
They already have and I’ve experienced it. The bloke I was on workfare experience said to people we wasn’t getting paid for the ‘job’ at ASDA. But I on the other hand said under £2.00 an hour. He saw job seekers as something that he didn’t have to work for during his time at ASDA - I did.
If I did under ten hours a week at ASDA then it would have been fair. But it was more like 15/20.
Quote Again what has debt in the economy got to do with your inability to look for work. Commercial company make a decision whether to lend. Do you not think that everyone that borrows pays for the few that borrow and cannot repay - its called a bad debt provision and it will be included in the margin of every loan the lender gives.'"
If the economy is doing bad then so is the jobs market. At the end of the day in an ideal world I just want to work into a job and get paid fairly. Instead I’m up against everyone else in the jobs market when applying for a job meaning that I’m always the last in line to receive employment.
Quote Welfare is about providing the basic requirement of existence - would you consider a Friday night out on the p1ss or a Rhinos PO game a basic?'"
I’m not going to get a lot of praise for this but yes. Enjoyment is a basic requirement of existence and without the enjoyment in our lives we’d be miserable. I just feel that Tax Payers like yourself are nit picking when it comes to points like this.
If tax payers can’t afford to go to a game then they going to have to find more money. If I can’t afford to go to a game or go out on the p1ss then I just don’t go. I don’t start pointing fingers at tax payers for not giving me enough money.
Yes I’m in a privileged situation and I think that’s down to who I am. I pay my tax paying parents board and I lend them money all the time. We help each other out - that’s what families about. My parents buy my food and drink.
I’m reluctantly taking my job seekers allowance but deep down I know that its right that I’m taking it.
One thing been long term unemployed has taught me is not to judge anyone anymore. Yeah I might have opinions but there just opinions. In all I want what’s best for everyone and that includes myself.
Obviously I can’t help everyone and I can’t even help myself in certain situations. But all I’m doing is getting through life in my own way. There’s a lot more people worse off than me but should I help them at my own expense.
Always look after number one springs to mind. But sometimes I’m even questioning that myself.
We’ll probably never agree on this welfare lifestyle debate.
Quote If you are genuinely looking for work I can find you some unskilled work at minimum rates in our Leeds plant through the temp agency we use for casual workers. This would regular and on going - just let me know if you are interested?'"
I have done - see PM!
Will talk more about it when I get my glasses back next week. Ironically I asked for a crises loan to fund these glasses and they turned me down as they done provide for medical expenses. So I had to pay for time out of my own welfare money at the expense of nights out.
Crises loans are they for food, heating and something else. But I bet most just get it for a p1ssup on Friday night. Do I judge these people?
Hell no.
I’m in the same situtation as them and I know what its like to have pride broken because we can’t find a job.
Quote To round up do not try and defend the indefensible - there is work out there, it might not suit your aspirations for a job but it is work. The fact you think it is funny that you cannot be bothered to look for work does or will only a job you consider suitable does you no favours with those of us who have to support you. '"
The indefensible will always be defended because the likes of you will have a field day. Not because your opinion is right or wrong. Its because you’d have an Orwellian set of rules on how people should live their lives if they happen to fall on difficult times.
I make most of what I’ve got and that’s all that matters. If you want to take away the little pleasure that I have in life by taking away my welfare then your unreasonable in my eyes.
So we’ll see if this job materializes and if it does I shall do my very best to find the most unemployable (providing they don’t have a criminal record) person in Leeds for you to get a job. I shall keep throwing them at you and I’m sure you’ll enjoy putting people into jobs.
But you’ll find its not as easy as you make out it is.
Everything else on the job front has failed me including myself but I’m not all to blame. Its been a combination of my reluctance to put myself out they because of my past experiences with job seeking and the job centre which is a disgrace.
Finally the Queen doesn’t pay tax as far as I’m aware.
