Both sides in furore over the "workfare" programme in which unemployed young people had to work for firms such as Tesco's are in my opinion wrong.
On one side are the SWP (an oxymoron) who believe this is slave labour, forgetting that many can use the experience to get a toehold into the job market. They believe this is exploitation but I don't think so.
Many of the young people need a motivation and are not an asset to the firms. Many are actually a cost.
The ones who are not and show themselves to be punctual, reliable and concientious could be offered a job.
It is NOT slave labour but an effort to give young people a discipline which is needed in the jobs market.
That is the governments line. Many young people nowadays can not be relied to turn up on time and work when they are at their place of employment, but many more are willing to try hard and they should be helped.
The government claims that 50% subsequent to these schemes come off the dole and maybe they do, BUT in doing so they only replace others who may be trying for jobs.
THIS SCHEME DOES NOT CREATE ANY NEW JOBS.
The same number of people will still be in employment however the scheme goes and it will be of no benefit to the country.
The only way to reduce unemployment is to create NEW jobs which were not done before.
To do that tax breaks should be given to small employers as an encouragement to expand and create new jobs. Regulations and red tape should be cut.
I know several small businessmen who will not employ people because it is not worth it for them.
The employment protection act makes them reluctant to employ a new person lest they are unable to dismiss them without an expensive industrial tribunal which they can not afford.
Thus you have the situation that a law which sought to protect workers actually sentences thousand to languish on the dole through no fault of their own.
Business rates are killers for small employers as are fuel duties.
What stops our young having a future is the burden on business.
Serving in shops may give people the incentive to get up and work but it does not produce anything.
What we need is more productive occupations and in a global economy that can only be achieved by reducing the tax burden on industry which is like a millstone around their necks.
How can our businesses compete internationally when they are hindered by high taxes and regulations?
Our country should prune the parasitical bureaucracy which lives on the backs of those who actually do something of value.
But the wont. Government is infested by those who have either never lived in the real world or feasted on the efforts of the producers in cohort with their friends in the City.
Until we have a government which realise what motivates small firms to expand we will get nowhere.
BUT if new jobs ARE created they should go to British kids and not foreigners who work for a pittance.
Possibly a tariff of perhaps £10,000 should be charged on every foreign worker to help pay for those of our own who can not get a job.
What do you think?
