Is this really unreasonable?

WhiteHorse

Is there not some confusion here?

On one occasion it was said that the unemployed should be prepared to travel to work, on another that they should be prepared to move house.

The first is reasonable, the second ludicrous.

Rochdale_Pioneers

The fundamental problem is that in large areas of the country - the Welsh Valleys being the example used - there has been little regeneration since the smashing of heavy industry by the unions in the 70s then by Thatcher in the 80s. Mass unemployment and high levels of benefit claimants are rife because there aren't enough jobs and there are never going to be enough jobs locally.

So in a way IDS is right - people do need to travel. But the problem is they won't be able to afford to. An hour by bus as suggested to a low paid job in cardiff and they're working 2 hours a day to pay the bus fare. Add that travel onto a working day and they'll need childcare before and after school, which they wouldn't be able to afford even if it existed. And thanks to the cuts it won't. So its in all probability a non-starter.

And thats for a few people. With *no* jobs, the solution would be needed for the entire population of such areas. So instead what we're going to find is - once again - the 4m+ unemployed marooned in seas of joblessness being blamed for their problem.

careinthecommunity

milliebear00001 wrote: »

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.

i agree with what you are saying, but it seems as though you are kind of making excuses, an hour plus to travel for work is not ideal, but people do currently do this and for low paid work, the reason businesses have not currently set up in these areas are surely business reasons, transport links etc?

our current public transport has a lot to answer for but that doesnt mean we should not ask people to cope and travel to work no?

as for the social issues regarding relocating i kind of agree but we are in the 21st century where families and freinds get split across the country everyday because of work, it is a nice utopia to think that everyone can live within 15 mins of there ideal job/family/friends but that is never going to happen

careinthecommunity

WhiteHorse wrote: »

Is there not some confusion here?

On one occasion it was said that the unemployed should be prepared to travel to work, on another that they should be prepared to move house.

The first is reasonable, the second ludicrous.

can i ask why it is ludicrous to relocate for work?

Sir_Humphrey

Indeed, decent public transport would make it a different story. This is one way to improve economic efficiency.

But it isn't happening (at least not enough), and the cuts in bus grants will likely see the end of many bus routes.

I still think many people on their high horse here would do exactly the same in their situation.

It is not as though Cardiff is booming now BTW. There are still nowhere near enough vacancies.

lucylucky

WhiteHorse wrote: »

Is there not some confusion here?

On one occasion it was said that the unemployed should be prepared to travel to work, on another that they should be prepared to move house.

The first is reasonable, the second ludicrous.

Many people relocate in order to find better/different employment so nothing ludicrous at all about that suggestion.

Shakethedisease

Many people relocate in order to find better/different employment so nothing ludicrous at all about that suggestion.

Possibly not for a part-time or temporary contract job in Argos however..

PasturesNew

It's an hour on the train, with a monthly season ticket at £91. I looked it up as there's a thread in DT about this.

Fact is, those people they are talking of don't have any special skills - and Cardiff's pay is quite low. So they'd be commuting for 1.5 hours, including the end bits of the journey, each way, each day, to be burger flippers at minimum wage.

There aren't the jobs there. I walked past one of the agencies once, big agency it was - two jobs in the window. And that was before things got really bad.

It might be a city, a capital, but unless you're a specialist in something, or have a degree, or work in the banking sector there doing something a bit more clever than admin, you'll be on minimum wage. No jobs, low pay.

sss555s

Shakethedisease wrote: »

Possibly not for a part-time or temporary contract job in Argos however..

Hey STD!

That's an old picture, is it Jim Kerr?

careinthecommunity

Shakethedisease wrote: »

Possibly not for a part-time or temporary contract job in Argos however..

[devils advocate]

so everyone should just sit and wait for the perfect full time job to become available in there local vicinity

[/devils advocate]