Local Employment Partnerships explains how union reps can work with employers and Jobcentre Plus (JCP) to help the long-term unemployed back into work through welfare schemes, such as ëwork trialsí and the ëjobs pledgeí.
The guidance is published nearly a year after the Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the ëjobs pledgeí at Congress in September 2007 and asked trade unions to help achieve this target saying; ìToday I am proposingÖ that we work together to fast-track British workers into jobs we know exist.î
The ëjobs pledgeí aims to find work for a quarter of a million people who face extra barriers to the labour market, such as lone parents and disabled people. The guidance encourages unions to help sign more companies up to the ëjobs pledgeí and points out that many of the companies that have already signed up recognise unions.
Further TUC guidance Work Trials – a briefing for union reps explains how unions can encourage more people into ëwork trialsí – four to six week work experience placements, paid at the weekly dole rate, also designed for ëhard-to-reachí groups.
However, the guidance also warns that these ëhard-to-reachí groups can potentially be exploited by unscrupulous employers to undercut their rivals by using work trial temps as an alternative to fully paid staff. The TUC guidance warns these tactics will hurt honest employers, threaten existing workersí jobs and serve no benefit to those who desperately need to get back into work.
The TUC briefings aim to help union reps work with employers and jobcentre plus to get more people using Government welfare schemes to re-enter the workforce. But both warn of the risks to employers, the unemployed and existing staff if these schemes are abused.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: ìThe long-term unemployed need all the help they can get in getting back to work, and work trials are a potentially vital way to help.
ìBut we cannot let a well intentioned initiative be undermined by unscrupulous employers who can use it to undercut their competitors by employing people on work trials at the tax payers cost. This can threaten peopleís jobs and serves no benefit to those who desperately need help to get back into work.
ìUnions are on hand to prevent dodgy employers exploiting the system and will work with good employers, job centre plus and the Government to ensure that work trials are successful at helping people out of long term unemployment.î
Unions have key role in helping long-term unemployed back into work
Unions have a key role to play in helping the long-term unemployed back into work, new TUC guidance says today
