PCS responds to Queen's speech

Wednesday, 3 December 2008 12:00 AM

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) warned that the welfare reform plans announced in today's Queen's Speech are the wrong proposals at the wrong time which will penalise some of the most disadvantaged in society.

The plans outlined in the Queen's speech have drawn opposition from across civil society with over 70 signatories signed up to the PCS and Compass co-ordinated campaign called 'Welfare for all'.

Signatories, including trade unions, poverty campaigners and academics, have signed up to the statement calling for the government to re-think its plans which will see jobcentre work privatised, the abolition of Income Support and a punitive benefits regime introduced, marginalising some of the most disadvantaged in society.

A copy of the statement and a list of signatories can be found in the notes to editors of this press release.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "The government's welfare reform proposals signal the break up of the welfare state as we know it, with the removal of the state safety net and the introduction of the free market, where the only motive is profit for the few and not help for the many. As the recession deepens, these are the wrong proposals at the wrong time, which will lead to people being bullied into jobs that don't exist.

"The government needs to pay heed to the growing chorus of opposition to their plans for welfare reform and put its faith in the professionalism of jobcentre workers who have consistently out performed the private sector in getting people back into work. We would urge the government to think again about an approach which goes even further than Thatcher would dare in 1980's and which stigmatises and demonises people as work shy."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

* For further information, interviews and comment please contact Alex Flynn PCS national press officer on 020 7801 2820 or 07833 978216.

* PCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union is the union representing civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies. It also represents workers in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK's sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich.

Welfare for all * statement

The welfare state is one of the UK's greatest achievements and supports us all especially vulnerable and unemployed people and their families.

In July the government published the green paper 'No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility' announcing plans to change the current provision of support.

Many of the plans were unacceptable when they were first published and the worsening economic situation should lead to a fundamental rethink. However the government is pressing ahead despite the current global economic downturn which is leading to increasing levels of unemployment. As a result we have come together.

The government's proposals remove entitlements and fail to value the important work of parents and carers. Parents with young children, carers, sick, disabled, people with mental health problems and other vulnerable groups face tougher tests to qualify for benefits. If they fail they could be cut off with no support.

We are opposed to the abolition of Income Support which ends the principle that those in need deserve help. We are opposed to compulsory work for benefits. People should be paid the rate for the job or at the very least be paid the national minimum wage.

Jobseekers Allowance is shockingly low at less than £10 a day, if it had increased in line with earnings over the past 30 years the rate for a single person over the age of 25 would be more than £100 a week.

The government wants more of the welfare state to be handed over to the private sector. It is wrong to profit from the sick and unemployed. There is also the intention to share information with the police which raises real concerns about civil liberties.

We want voluntary skills training and life long learning opportunities for unemployed people. The government should focus on ensuring that there is more support to access jobs that have fair pay and decent conditions with a guarantee that when people cannot seek work they will not face poverty.

The government should introduce positive measures to challenge discriminatory attitudes held by employers, encourage flexible working practices and expand the provision of affordable childcare.

We want the government to rethink its plans. Support our campaign to help create a better welfare state and society.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Serwotka - General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) Paul Kenny - General Secretary of the GMB union Sally Hunt * General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) Jeremy Dear - General Secretary of National Union of Journalists (NUJ) John Corey - General Secretary of the Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance (NIPSA) Katie Curtis * National Women's Officer, National Union of Students (NUS) Ama Uzowuru - Vice President Welfare, National Union of Students (NUS) Colin Hampton - National Unemployed Centres Combine Eileen Devaney - National Co-ordinator of the UK Coalition Against Poverty Iman Achara * Director of British Black Anti-Poverty Network Peter Kelly - Director of The Poverty Alliance Scotland Frances Dowds * Director of the Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Network Miranda Evans - Policy & Public Affairs Manager at Disability Wales Dr Chris Ford MB ChB MRCP FRC GP - GP in North West London and the Clinical Director of Substance Misuse Management in General Practice.
Tony Rhodes and Paula Hanson - Co-Founders of The National Carers Forum Cheryl Dobbinson, Frances Kelly, Iain MacNeil, Rosemary O'Neill, Paul Tubby and Philippa Wood * Carer Watch Chris Steel, Jean Milne and Tony Dennis - Carers Voices Kelly Smith * Secretary of the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers Claudia Rubin * Head of Policy and Communications at Release Stephen Fisher - Chairman of trustees, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Action Kim Sparrow - Single Mothers' Self Defence Claire Glasman - WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities) Niall Cooper - Church Action on Poverty and Get Fair Coalition Adrian Sinfield - Professor Emeritus in Social Policy, School of Social and Political Studies, University of Edinburgh Professor Ruth Lister CBE - Professor of Social Policy at Loughborough University Mark Donne - Director of the Fair Pay Network Steve Donnison and Holiday Whitehead - Co-Directors of Benefits and Work Neal Lawson - Chair of Compass Andrew Fisher * Co-ordinator of the Left Economic Advisory Panel Clare Caves - Secretary of European Anti Poverty Network - England Maeve McGoldrick - Community Links Dann Kenningham - National Coordination Team, ATD Fourth World

Academics supporting the campaign are:

Dr Ben Rogaly - Senior Lecturer, University of Sussex Professor Sharon Gewirtz - Professor of Education, King's College London Dr Marie Lall - Institute of Education, University of London Dr David Alderson - Senior Lecturer, University of Manchester Pat Devine - Honorary Research Fellow, University of Manchester Professor Norman Ginsburg - Professor of Social Policy, London Metropolitan University Dr Adam Hansen - Lecturer, Northumbria University.
Dr David Byrne - Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, Durham Social Policy Professor Robert Hampson FEA, FRSA - Head of Department, Royal Holloway, University of London, Dr Catherine Needham - Lecturer, Department of Politics, Queen Mary, University of London Professor Julian Petley - Brunel University Dr. Eryl Price-Davies - Principal Lecturer, Thames Valley University Professor David Cottington - Director of Postgraduate Studies, Kingston University Dr Priscilla Alderson PhD FRSA - Professor of Childhood Studies, Institute of Education Dr Diane Taylor - Faculty of Humanities, De Montfort University Dr. Douglas Chalmers -Glasgow Caledonian University Dr Jonathon Rutherford - Middlesex University Professor Adrian Sinfield - Professor emeritus of social policy at the University of Edinburgh Dr Gideon Calder - Reader in Ethics and Social Philosophy, University of Wales Dr Ian Greer - Senior Research Fellow, Leeds University.
Professor George Irvin - University of London, SOAS Professor Peter Dwyer - Professor of Social Policy, Nottingham Trent University Kirsten Merrill-Glover - Senior Lecturer, University of Wales Dr Jo Littler - Senior Lecturer, Middlesex University Dr Jonathan Perraton - Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Sheffield Professor Steven Smith - School of Health and Social Sciences, University of Wales Pam Coare - Senior Lecturer in Continuing Education, University of Sussex David Parker - Emeritus Professor, University of Leeds, Professor Kevin Morgan - University of Manchester Steve Davies - Senior Research Fellow, Cardiff University School of Social Sciences

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