One-way 'mutual obligation'
Federal cabinet last week approved plans to double the size of a work for the dole scheme announced by PM John Howard last month, and to introduce tougher penalties for young people who refuse to participate or drop out. The government is also considering whether to force people to undertake military training for the dole, an idea pushed by Ipswich racist independent Pauline Hanson last year.
The Labor "opposition" has said it will not block the scheme in the Senate, virtually ensuring that it will start in September.
Ten thousand people aged between 18 and 24 will work enough hours per week for small businesses and community organisations in regional Australia to earn their dole payments when calculated according to award wage rates. The contracts for these "jobs" exclude normal workplace regulations and entitlements.
Military service for the dole would be based on the Limited Service Volunteers Scheme in New Zealand. This "boot camp" scheme is supposed to provide "motivation" and "life skills" for young job seekers. Participants "enlist" on a full-time basis and pay $50 a week out of their dole for bed and board.
In adopting this scheme, Howard is implicitly admitting that the "trickle-down" effect — waiting for economic growth and labour market deregulation to generate jobs — is not producing results. In fact, unemployment has increased since the federal election.
The new programs are a public relations stunt targeted at voters in rural and regional seats. They provide no training and create no real jobs.
But they are not just a vote-grabbing exercise. They are part of the government's drive to "deregulate" — weaken or dismantle so-called barriers to employment: decent wages and working conditions, public spending and welfare "dependency".
Before it can cut the welfare budget much further, the government must convince the majority of people that the dole is a privilege, not rightful compensation for being deprived of a wage. Howard says the government intends to pursue the principle of "mutual obligation"; if people receive the dole, they should be prepared to give something back.
In fact, ordinary people give twice over. We lose thousands of public sector jobs; we suffer from the erosion of social security; and we lose even limited labour market programs. Now we have to work for the dole or submit to low wages and working conditions.
In its attempt to deflect blame, the government is using the work for the dole schemes to regurgitate the fallacy that those without work just haven't tried hard enough.
Without the prospect of real jobs, these schemes will further lower the expectations of young people, nearly 30% of whom are unemployed. Young people have a right to a job, a decent income and to choose not to participate in useless programs.
Unemployment officially stands at 8.8%. We need to debunk the myth that those individuals without jobs have only themselves to blame by showing how government policies create and maintain unemployment. Unless we win this battle of ideas, the spiralling rates of youth suicide will worsen.
To solve the crisis for unemployed young people, trade unions and youth and community organisations must campaign side by side for real job creation and decent wages for all workers. We must campaign for a shorter working week with no loss in pay so that existing work can be shared around and, in the meantime, demand that dole payments be increased to allow a decent standard of living for the unemployed.
The unemployed have already paid and are still paying. "Mutual obligation" means that government and business should now cough up.