Work Programme Bonanza

Seetec Logo

Christmas is a time of year where that rotund chap in red comes down the chimney and gives people lots of presents (if you have been good of course). However, it also has another meaning for the ABC. It means it is time to get ready to review the accounts for SEETEC BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY CENTRE LIMITED Registered Address: 75/77 Main Road, Hockley, Essex, SS5 4RG, an Essex based - Work Programme provider.

Your author was in fact one of the first people on the 'Work Programme' and our experiences working with the Jobcentre Plus and Seetec, were one of the reasons that the founder saw a need for an Association to help those on State Pensions & Benefits.

Our own experiences of Seetec’s were mixed. But first some general information... 

The Human Rights Act 1998 (also known as the Act or the HRA) came into force in the United Kingdom in October 2000. It is composed of a series of sections that have the effect of codifying the protections in the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law. All public bodies (such as courts, police, local governments, hospitals, publicly funded schools, and others) and other bodies carrying out public functions have to comply with the Convention rights. This means, among other things, that individuals can take human rights cases in domestic courts; they no longer have to go to Strasbourg to argue their case in the European Court of Human Rights. The Act sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that individuals in the UK have access to.

The sad thing about a lot of EU legislation, is that it appears, that it is not difficult to get round it, if you are determined enough? This is one reason we are vehemently opposed to a UK ‘Bill of Rights’  which if written by the present government may mean you have NO rights, or few that cannot be taken away if need be.

The government uses phrases such as: The Mandatory Work Programme is voluntary but if you fail to take part in it, you may be subject to a sanction. The Work Experience programme is different in that it is voluntary to join, but it becomes compulsory after you have accepted an offer of a place.

In forcing you, to sign away your rights to say ‘no thank you’ in in this way, claiming your actions are voluntary - but in reality where your actions are taken under the threat of having your benefits stopped…. The government has successfully found a way to force people to do things they don’t want to do, or feel they have no need to do, when in reality claimants have had about as much choice, as a participant of not taking part, on the WW2 Bataan Death March!

The National Minimum Wage requires that “workers” and “employees”, as defined, receive a minimum rate of pay set under regulations. Those on work placement schemes designed to help [?] those on benefits into work are neither “workers” nor “employees” and therefore the National Minimum Wage legislation does not apply. This is because these arrangements, including schemes such as the now discontinued Flexible New Deal or the existing Work Programme, do not constitute a “contract” as such, but are simply a requirement linked to ongoing receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).

Many benefit claimants don’t lack a work ethic, and they don’t need to work as what is in effect ‘slave labour’. The use of unpaid labour in the economy has driven down wages in real terms by 15% since 2008, however this has also eroded the tax base, the money that pays the wages of those in the public sector. To prevent those working in that sector from withdrawing their labour, the Conservative government are talking about future draconian legislation to stop public sector workers from striking.

The Nazis called their inter-war years scheme ‘The Work Programme’ and you can guess how voluntary that was! Although I use the term ‘slave’ that term is not technically correct. If your car is stolen, the thief cannot steal the ‘Title’ which you retain. As people are forced to work for no wages - their ‘title’ is not sold and they are not ‘slaves’. Indenture servitude, is where people work without pay but for a fixed period after which they are given a benefit - cow and a bit of land. The British Empire built on slavery eventually banned the practise, however slavery carried on with some legal adjustment to unpaid workers status. Slavery lost its appeal as a business model as with growing unrest, the cost of controlling the reluctant participants was a disincetive. There was a growing desire to kill those who benefitted from the slaves explotation. 

A major catalyst for the French Revolution was during a period of economic turmoil, French peasants were forced to work for no pay on a road building program. Louis XVI was advised by his finance minister not to operate this scheme. and the rest they say is history. Many reasons are considered responsible for the French Revolution by historians, but forced labour was a factor that ignited the revolutionary uprising. History has shown the French pesant classes, are not as 'docile' as their British equivalents. 

BACK TO THE PRESENT.

I refused to sign the Work Programme agreement, and as such my manager refused to pay for any assistance such as Travel-to-Interview expenses or clothing. I eventually threatened to take Seetec to Court, and my manager claimed she had said had such help was available. This was not true. 

However, my work programme adviser had asked the manager for clarification about my treatment, and there was evidence now in the database my adviser had written, that could not be denied, and I had a copy. I was ‘parked’ to use the expression in use at the time, and far from helping me, Seetec were hindering my efforts to find work.

Despite making a formal complaint to the relevant Seetec director, my complaint, was to all intents and purposes not acted on Certainly not with my involvement. The manager left, a short time afterwards, though there was never any indication of whether this was related to my experiences?

Time spent at Seetec was boring and frankly a waste of time. I was forced to carry out tasks that simply took up all my time. I was put on a basic ‘learn to use a computer course’ when I had run a software company in South Africa and so on. It seemed a complete waste of money, though later things did improve (a little). 

Seetec did become much more generous clothing wise, and with other help. Despite that a £5 budget for my interview shoes, nearly crippled me for life.

I was denied a fair hearing and the opportunity for an explanation [reasons] which is very much a requirement in EU Law. 

Life has been good to Seetec since I moved on. In 2010 they had just over thirteen million pounds in the bank, and today it is over forty five and a half million. Recessions are not all bad it would seem? 

At a time many businesses have struggled or failed, Seetec fortunes have skyrocketed.

Those who complain about their high taxes, and air their frustration about their wages funding (what they are being told are the feckless and the lazy) they should certainly note this example below:

So what are the public getting for the millions ploughed into organisations like Seetec and the other Work Programme providers whose results in getting people into work?

Here is an example from that time of a quiz from a Seetec training course

You realize you are going to be late for an interview, do you..

1.       Forget it , there’ll be other opportunities
2.       Call the company straight away and explain the situation
3.       Arrive as soon as you can

If the position you are applying for offers a casual dress code, how would you dress for the interview?

1.        Smart
2.        Casual
3.        Whatever’s clean
4.        Low cut blouse and a short skirt

On the day of the interview, you have eaten a tuna sandwich for your lunch. Before leaving the house, do you,,,

1.       Rinse your mouth with water
2.       Clean your teeth
3.       Eat some garlic to cover the smell of the tuna

Are the millions being given to companies like Seetec really providing value for money, or is the government more focused on transferring tax payer’s wealth into the private sector, supplying unpaid labour, and driving down the wages of those in work benefitting their donor base, creating higher profits and bonuses for capitalists, who own most of our economy.

The debate will continue, but here at least are some figures to help you form an opinion.