Framework uses Workfare

Published: May 03, 2013 20:50 by Anti-workfare

We delivered a letter to Chief Executive Andrew Redfern and other members of staff:

Dear Andrew Redfern,

We are writing in order to express our sadness that your organisation is participating in the Work Programme. As we're sure you know, the Work Programme is both this government's and its predecessor's attempt to penalise poor and working class people for the failures of the current economic system.

We know that Framework has a Training and Employment side called EVE Works, which delivers the work programme as a subcontractor to A4e in Nottingham as well as the county. Secondly, Framework set up a wholly owned CIC (community interest company) called EVE Trades to deliver/manage its social enterprise activities. This is the side where mandatory work activity is used in the businesses, referring to participants as "volunteers", despite the fact that they are obliged to participate or risk losing their benefits. The manager of both parts is Claire Eden and she is based at 36 Bentinck Road. We know that the Paint It project organised apprenticeships for six of your service users, enabling them to gain valuable experience and qualifications, whilst helping financially sustain Framework. We know that you have now ended these apprenticeships and use the government's workfare programme in order to provide yourselves with free labour. There can be up to 10 people at a time forced to undertake this for a 4 week period. This we feel is a grievous error, but one you could remedy quickly and without drawing attention to your participation in workfare, simply by choosing not to participate in the Work Programme.

As we are aware of the considerable work you do which benefits those struggling to survive in this system, and also of your reliance on the public perception of Framework as a charitable and socially positive organisation, we felt it was only fair to inform you of our intentions. We have decided to hold a demonstration outside your main offices on Gregory Boulevard at the end of the month, and we will be inviting the local press along to cover the demonstration as we feel it would make an interesting story. Following this demonstration we will build a campaign aimed at highlighting your participation in Workfare. We do this in solidarity with all those who are being forced into unpaid work by both this government and its predecessors.

Sincerely,

Notts Against Workfare

Published: May 04, 2013 11:02 by Concerned local

Framework are seen as advocates for the homeless and those vulnerable to losing their housing. Over the last 2 years Framework's Andrew Redfern and Michael Leng have received a lot of media attention when trying to challenge the government's housing support cutbacks and the effect this would have on vulnerable people. I'm surprised that Framework appears to be missing the issue that the work programme as part of the welfare reform package is a direct attack on the same vulnerable groups and perversely their activities could force people closer, if not into homelessness.I hope Framework re assess their position and quickly come out with a clear statement to cease their contracts of mandatory work activity(mwa)and training "volunteers" with A4E, Ingeus and others.