I have warned on this blog before that the reforms of the welfare-to-work system risk embedding unpaid labour into the benefits system. This week’s story about Tesco advertising for night shift workers to be paid Job Seeker’s Allowance plus expenses has rightly caused outrage now it seems that large retailers and charities are pulling out of the work experience element of the Work Programme.
As the Independent reports today, Matalan has suspended its involvement in the scheme and Waterstones, Sainsbury’s and TK Maxx have expressed their opposition. Employers are now said to be concerned that job seekers will lose their benefits if they drop out of placements. Shiv Malik of the Guardian, who has been tenacious in following this story, reports that Tesco is now urging the government to make changes to the scheme. But this may not be enough.
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