Is this really unreasonable?

Wookster

Iain Duncan Smith tells Merthyr jobless to 'get on bus'

Iain Duncan Smith tells Newsnight the unemployed should 'get on the bus' to find work
Conservative minister Iain Duncan Smith has told people in the south Wales town of Merthyr Tydfil they have become static and should seek work in Cardiff.

The work and pensions secretary suggested unemployed people "get on a bus" to find work.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11605318

Is it really unreasonable to ask people to relocate for work if they can't find something local?

I'm not so sure.

wymondham

If there are no jobs where you live then surely theres no choice??

kabayiri

A party with joined up thinking would reinforce this philosophy by subsidising bus and rail transport even more. It would help neuter all those 'it costs me too much to commute' arguments in one swift blow.

careinthecommunity

Wookster wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11605318

Is it really unreasonable to ask people to relocate for work if they can't find something local?

I'm not so sure.

firstly he isnt saying they should relocate, only travel to work (an hour on the bus) most people have to travel to get to work hence why we have built suburbs.

to answer your question direct though, no i do not feel it totally unreasonable asking someone to relocate for work, you cannot sit in an old market town/village and expect work to land on your doorstep, its a case of relocate, travell [sp] or become entrepreneurial

Bangerchick

There are plenty of people who already commute an hour each way, or more, to get to work. Especially people who work in London and probably other big cities too but who don't want to or can't afford to pay high rents. As long as it won't cost the Merthyr jobless more in bus fare than they'll earn, I think they should pull there finger out of their !!!!!! and get on with it.

Sir_Humphrey

Bangerchick wrote: »

There are plenty of people who already commute an hour each way, or more, to get to work. Especially people who work in London and probably other big cities too but who don't want to or can't afford to pay high rents. As long as it won't cost the Merthyr jobless more in bus fare than they'll earn, I think they should pull there finger out of their !!!!!! and get on with it.

The trouble is that is an hour on the bus, plus goodness knows how long once they get there, unless their house and job are right next to the bus stop (and on the same route).

The round fare would also be about a tenner outside of London. Buses are rubbish outside of London.

Secondly, Duncan-Smith claims there are 450 000 jobs IIRC. Unemployment is 2.4 million using the ILO figure. And that does not take into account qualifications needed for those jobs. You do the maths.

globalds

It is unreasonable to expect to do something if the alternative is the easy option.

Take away the soft option and you will find people will change there mind quite quickly about what is reasonable.

That reads fairly right wing ..It isn't ,I just think people will quite rightly pick the easy route more often than not.

Wookster

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

The trouble is that is an hour on the bus, plus goodness knows how long once they get there, unless their house and job are right next to the bus stop (and on the same route).

The round fare would also be about a tenner outside of London. Buses are rubbish outside of London.

Secondly, Duncan-Smith claims there are 450 000 jobs IIRC. Unemployment is 2.4 million using the ILO figure. And that does not take into account qualifications needed for those jobs. You do the maths.

Are you happy to pay for someone to sit at home, someone who can't be bothered to travel 1hr + to work?

globalds

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

Secondly, Duncan-Smith claims there are 450 000 jobs IIRC. Unemployment is 2.4 million using the ILO figure. And that does not take into account qualifications needed for those jobs. You do the maths.

There is surely not a finite amount of jobs.

careinthecommunity

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

The trouble is that is an hour on the bus, plus goodness knows how long once they get there, unless their house and job are right next to the bus stop (and on the same route).

The round fare would also be about a tenner outside of London. Buses are rubbish outside of London.

so you are advocating that the unemployed should relocate so they are nearer there job, because after all they shouldnt have to make extra time and walk to the bus stop / work?

he is asking them to consider the journey which plenty of people currently make such journeys everyday

milliebear00001

kabayiri wrote: »

A party with joined up thinking would reinforce this philosophy by subsidising bus and rail transport even more. It would help neuter all those 'it costs me too much to commute' arguments in one swift blow.

I am not sure how far this journey would be, but it'sprobably reasonable to expect this if the distances and times involved aren't too great.

I absolutely agree with the quote though. If we are seriously expecting large swathes of people to seek low paid employment far away from their homes, then it needs to be as easy as possible for them to do so - excellent transport - cheap and regular and joined up. There should also be major incentives for businesses to locate themselves in areas where there is little work - especially those areas whose traditional employment has become obsolete.

Relocation is a completely different issue and carries with it all sorts of social issues that would need to be addressed before we could reasonably expect people to do this.