Keep Volunteering Voluntary

UNISON and several charities are opposing the introduction of government-sanctioned Community Work Placements in its ‘help to work’ scheme which began in April. Government rules makes it compulsory for a long term claimant to either do “intensive” coaching, meet an adviser every day, or do a community work placement. The Community programme requires participants to take on unpaid community-based work experience placement of up to 30 hours each week for up to six months. UNISON has pledged its opposition to the use of “workfare” in the charity sector and has signed up to the Keep Volunteering Voluntary campaign. The government scheme has faced heavy criticism for not offering real opportunities for the unemployed, and creating a scheme which does nothing more than falsify real unemployment figures. http://www.keepvolunteeringvoluntary.net/