| Here
is a copy of my new Jobseeker's Agreement. What I must do to meet the terms of the
Jobseeker's Agreement: - Email one employer per week
- contact Jobseeker's Direct twice per week
- Ask people I know
- Look in papers once per week
- Apply speculatively an unspecified number of
times
- Checkout the
jobcentreplus website
- Keep
documentary evidence
As
always, you are are under threat of sanction for non compliance. Of
course, the above is no challenge whatsoever for a seasoned New Deal
veteran who has been made to do Jobsearch for weeks on end five days a
week. We vets have no trouble handling such demands. Is there a reason
that you are supposed to provide them with evidence even though
Jobcentreplus do not follow the same practice? Evidence is an ambiguous
term and you should reserve the right to apply your own definition. If
it means absolute proof, it is unlikely that either you or they can provide
it. In
practice the
written jobseeker's agreement gets overruled by verbal agreements with
staff in
order to facilitate day to day running. This is acceptable if it isn't
detrimental to the client. The general rule is that, according to the
Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations, you are expected to take 3 steps to
look for work each week. Many Jobcentreplus employees have
told me that it is common for clients going into sign on not to have
done anything at all. Jobcentreplus make the rules up as they go along
in order to suit their needs at any particular time. If they want
to attack an individual, they will conveniently ignore the agreement.*
This should not be tolerated.
Now, I could perform a very interesting experiment. Let's say I proceed
not to meet the terms of the contract. As a result I get sanctioned,
having my payments suspended on the grounds of non compliance. So in
response I say "you cannot sanction me on those grounds, as according
to Nick Parton, Jobcentreplus Contract Manager, it is not possible to
determine whether I have met the terms of the Jobseeker's Agreement".
They ask him, he agrees, verbally, to that because he knows it to be
absolutely true and 100% credible, so there can never again be such a
thing as non compliance resulting in sanction for any Jobseekers? It is
acknowledged by Nick Parton that it meets Jobcentreplus standards, so
it is indisputable, right? I would love to do it, but I
like to observe standards in excess of that. It's so much easier to conduct yourself
without integrity. Unfortunately, that just isn't good enough for me or
the others I would affect.
Jobcentreplus's policy of stamping on individuals who do not meet the
requirements of their contract should not be discriminatory. It should
apply to Pertemps as well, after all, they cost a lot more than any
individual's dole payment.
* since writing this, a case study has arisen. Remember
the Jobseeker's Agreement is in reality under law neither an agreement
nor contract because it places you under duress and is based on a "sign
this or face the consequences" threat. |