Thread: Job Centre/Tory government rant?

OK, so I've been on the dole for a few weeks now since being made redundant last month. On Tuesday I was sent to a Back to Work session at my local Jobcentre, basically to make sure we were aware of the terms of our Jobseekers' Agreement and to explain how the rules are toughening up now the Tories are in. Fair enough. I was already aware that by definition you have to be looking for work to get Jobseekers' Allowance, which I do every day. The easiest way for me to do this is by going in the Job Centre and spending 20 minutes using their free phones ringing round agencies and other companies who might need staff of my experience, and as a result of this research I'm usually able to send my CV out to three or four different employers a day. The staff in there all know me and they know I never spend longer than 20 minutes on the phones because I know other people want to use them. But today a security guard wouldn't stop hassling me because some bloke wanted to use the phone before I'd finished - now I'd queued and waited my turn, so why couldn't he? I wouldn't mind but there were tons of people on the other phones who were blatantly using the phone to make personal calls and the jobsworth didn't say anything to them! He knows me and he knew full well I wouldn't be much longer. I managed to get this Nazi off my back by politely telling him that I wasn't actually in there because I enjoy it but if next time I sign on I'm asked why I've not been doing enough to find work I'll just explain that he's stopping me. He backed off then but it seems us genuine jobseekers can't win whatever we do. Quite frankly I'm not surprised unemployment's at the level it is when we're not even being allowed to look for work - in a jobcentre of all places! Another thing, at this Back to Work session I attended we were told when filling in our Looking For Work forms that we now have to put the contact details of every single employer we approach so they can make sure we're not lying. Now is it just me, or is this incredibly counterproductive? Most of us don't want employers to know we're signing on because for a start there's still a lot of prejudice about "dolescum", and second, won't it reflect badly on the jobseeker if it looks like we've only applied because the DSS have made them? Luckily, my booklet has such tiny sections anyway I've hardly even got room to write what I did and hopefully they'll be too busy trying to sign everyone to check, and as long as I stick to the minimum I don't have to tell them everybody I approached, but the point is this will probably do jobseekers' chances more harm than good. I suspect the government doesn't actually want us to find work at all - they're not allowed to be racist, sexist, homophobic or anything like that any more and quite right too, but it does mean the unemployed are the last convenient scapegoat and if we all found jobs these bigots would have no one left to sneer at. Anyone else experienced this catch 22 situation?

Get a job.

Oh yeah. One more thing, when you do get a job, you'll be working for me and another 11 or so million UK pensioners. Bleeding shirker - get back to the wheel with all the other slaves.

Blimey.

Blitz Baby - Londoner since 1941

I have heard that the jobs in job centres are extremely poor. There are thousands of jobs on websites that are far better and easy to apply for and you dont even need a phone. You can apply on line. Depending on the type of work you are looking for, you can probably find a job website that fits your exerience and skills. You can also post your CV on the sites so it takes the hassle out of sending it through the post and costing postage. The Tories have a lot to answer for. They are making life impossible for many and especially the less well off and those least able to manage.

Edit : Catch 22 : yes i must get a job for them to fund my licence.. but the employers said i must have a licence before they can give me the job perfect catch 22 .

Under labour i was about to recieve a FLT licence i could of easily got a job but the conservatives stoped the funding.. i was asked to go into an interview with a suit.. they said ask the job centre, for a suit..

on 52 a week THEIR IS NO WAY I CAN AFFORD ANYTHING OF THE SORT WITH BILLS AND FOOD ETC.

So anyways i went in and they said.. under the new governement i must be EMPLOYED for them to fund teh suit :S and i said well i wouldnt need it when if i got the job i need it for the interview.. however once again they crippled my chances !!!!!

I don't think the conservatives are helping this mass unemployment problem !!!