Press Release – Youth Fight For Jobs – Protest Against Iain Duncan Smith on Friday 15th June

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Youth Fight For Jobs Protest Against Iain Duncan Smith Today (Friday 15th June)

Photo opportunities on Friday 15th June 10am outside Wellington Street Jobcentre Plus and at 1pm outside Leicester Pensions Centre, Yeoman Street.

Today, activists from the Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ) campaign will protest against Iain Duncan Smith (IDS) on his visits to the Jobcentre Plus on Wellington Street, and Leicester Pensions Centre, Yeoman Street.

IDS will arrive at 10:30am to the Jobcentre for a ‘warm’ welcome from YFJ. IDS will also be visiting the Leicester Pensions Centre, Yeoman Street from 1-2pm where YFJ will be supporting pensioners in a second protest.

IDS is Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and has presided over the Government’s controversial ‘workfare’ schemes, as well as attacks to the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), state pensions and other parts of the welfare state.

Following a series of retreats by the government on its flagship Work Experience schemes, YFJ and other campaigners plan to keep up the pressure on government to scrap all ‘workfare’ projects. YFJ calls on them instead to unroll a programme for job creation.

Dan Fahey, Leicester YFJ organiser said “IDS recently declared the causes of child poverty were ‘family breakdown, educational failure, addiction, debt…worklessness and economic dependency’ [1]. These are the symptoms, not causes of poverty, and his attacks on the welfare state are not the solution.

“Last night IDS fellow Cabinet minister, George Osborne, announced to City grandees a further £140 billion being given to the banks [2], we demand that instead of bailouts for the rich that there is massive public investment to actually create jobs.”

He added “The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) recently announced a £5 million expansion of the Mandatory Work Activity scheme, forcing more jobseekers to do up to 30 hours a week, for four weeks, of unpaid work [3]. This was followed by the DWP’s own assessment that the programme has ‘no impact on the likelihood of being employed’ [4]. Not only are these attacks unjust, they are simply unjustified!”

Dean Kavanagh, also a member of Leicester YFJ said “IDS and the government are punishing workers, pensioners, the unemployed, students, and people with disabilities – anyone seemingly, except for the bankers who caused the financial mess in the first place.

“Instead of investing in services and industries to create decent jobs, IDS is persecuting those on Job Seekers Allowance for being out of work despite the fact that there are around 12 people competing for every job vacancy in Leicester.

“As IDS will not challenge the banks, Youth Fight for Jobs will continue to work with young people to build an alternative to austerity and build a society that supports everyone, not just an elite few.”

Youth Fight for Jobs Demands:
– Stop all cuts. The economic crisis was caused by big business, bankers and irresponsible governments. We should not have to pay with our jobs and services
– An end to privatisations
– Scrap all ‘workfare’ schemes
– Government run apprenticeships and training schemes that provide a living wage and guarantee a job at the end
– A programme of useful public works, such as house building and renewable infrastructure projects, to provide jobs and training for young people

ENDS

Notes to editors
[1] http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/ministers-speeches/2010/27-05-10.shtml
[2] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/9332318/George-Osbornes-Mansion-House-speech-in-full.html
[3] http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2012/jun-2012/dwp061-12.shtml
[4] http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/early_impacts_mwa.pdf

Youth Fight for Jobs (http://www.youthfightforjobs.com) was launched in 2009 in response to rising levels of youth unemployment. We have recently completed the 330 mile Jarrow March for Jobs. We were backed by the Unite, PCS, RMT, CWU, UCU,  FBU, Bectu and TSSA trade unions.