"Human Rights" strikes again.

tartanterra

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2085142/Unemployed-graduate-sues-ministers-forced-stack-shelves-Poundland.html#

It is my human right not to work for Poundland: Graduate who faced losing benefit sues ministers
Cait Reilly has been looking for work since graduating in the summer.
She volunteered at a museum until ordered to accept two-week placement.
Her lawyer says the 'forced labour' breaches her human rights.

Everything that is wrong with the benefits system.

As a taxpayer, who has contributed to her University education and now her benefits, I don't think it is unreasonable to expect her to train in retail if her degree is not leading to employment in her chosen field.

I can't see how any of this can be classed as "forced labour" either.
She was at liberty at any time to sign off from claiming benefits, and therefore did not have to accept the training.

Road_Hog

Not a fan of 'Human Rights' but in this case I agree with her. Unemployment Benefit is to support you whilst looking for a job. Poundland are not offering her a job nor are they paying her. Stacking shelves is not retail training it is forced slave labour.

If you are working (as slave labour) it is pretty difficult to be looking and applying for jobs. If Poundland want employees then they should at the very least pay the minimum wage. There has already been an article on this and all the people at Poundland and Tesco said that they learnt nothing and were just given instructions to clean and stack shelves.

This is very wrong, if the government want to help people, they should get them into a company that will teach them something, a skill and a qualification. Perhaps working in IT or something for a month, something where they would actually learn and HAVE to be trained. Stacking shelves is like going on a two week course to learn manual labour, it doesn't teach you anything. Also, these companies should be forced to take on permanently a minimum percentage of the people they accept for 'training' because if they haven't got the jobs then there is no point in people being 'trained' up only to be churned for another free 'trainee'.

System

She was working for free at a museum, where she had a chance to get a job related to her degree.

Then some bright spark came along and decided she should work for free at Poundland instead.

I wouldn't sue for a breach of human rights, I'd sue them for being brainless pricks with no idea what they are doing. I'm on her side.

tartanterra

Road_Hog wrote: »

it is forced slave labour.

It is not "forced". She can sign off at any time.

It is also a travesty to call it "forced slave labour". I can see no comparison whatsoever to the Nazi death camps or Japanese Prisoner of War labour camps.

If you want to give it a term, I think "Being asked to do something you don't want to do" would be more appropriate.

drwho2011

"Cait Reilly, who studied geology at university, had been unable to find a job in her subject area and was claiming unemployment benefit while volunteering in a museum in the hope it would lead to a job in that sector."

She'd been unemployed almost a year and a half so I don't see what the big deal is about her working unpaid for experience.

At this point she'd have had to open up her job search criteria to include retail anyway, however her geology degree won't be much help to her getting work in Tesco's or the like, unlike some practical retail experience.

tartanterra

Joeskeppi wrote: »

She was working for free at a museum, where she had a chance to get a job related to her degree.

This could also read:

She was working for free at Poundland, where she had a chance to get a job related to her experience.

stonethrower

I bet when her 2 week trial is up poundland go out and get someone else for another 2 weeks, some companies abuse these systems.

Graham_Devon

Two weeks work in return for benefits...and shes taking the government to court over it?

Courageuous...I'll give her that. Won't go into what else I think of her. Best to leave it at that.

I do wonder where the money for lawyers etc is actually coming from!

As for the volunteering thing. You can be a volunteer in certain areas, and not have to search for work. This probably isn't one of those areas. Could be two hours a week she volunteers for for all we know. If she does want to volunteer, she has to do it under the terms laid out for benefits, in the sectors laid out. You can't just volunteer for any old company or interest you have and take benefits from the country. We'd all be volunteering.

I'm happy to volunteer for a day a week at a glamour model photo shoot. I think my job should be making sure the camera sees what I see. Where do I get the forms for housing benefit?

Anyway, if shes volunteering, she can always go back after the two weeks. Not the end of the world.

Generali

I just heard her on Radio 5. She was working 5 hours a day, 5 days a week.

You are paying her legal bills of course via the Legal Aid system.

SecondLegDownIsTheBigOne

Generali wrote: »

I just heard her on Radio 5. She was working 5 hours a day, 5 days a week.

You are paying her legal bills of course via the Legal Aid system.

Sensible of her to ensure that she has time to apply for jobs.

SecondLegDownIsTheBigOne

tartanterra wrote: »

This could also read:

She was working for free at the museum where she was acquiring work experience in support of her degree.