The ‘Quiet Man’ imports the US ‘soup kitchen’ culture for the poor,
says Unite
11 November 2010
The coalition’s welfare reform proposals aim to create a
division between what they see as the ‘deserving’ versus the
‘undeserving poor’, which will herald a US-style ‘soup kitchen’
culture, Unite, the largest union in the country, said today
(Thursday, 11 November).
Unite was commenting on the plans by work and pensions secretary
Iain Duncan Smith – the self-confessed ‘Quiet Man’ of British
politics – which will mean that claimants moving into work will
keep more of their income than now, but face losing benefits if
they refuse a job.
Unite assistant general secretary for public services, Gail
Cartmail, said: ”The atmosphere being created is of a division
between the 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor.
”We deny that such division exists. The income inequality in the UK
is wider than most other OECD countries – those developed countries
with whom the UK can most easily compare. This is because of low
pay and gender discrimination, especially against part-time women
workers.
”Government policy is pushing people into joblessness – the
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) latest
forecast is 1.6 million. The sums do not add up - divide unemployed
into vacancies and there remains a lack of jobs already.
”Looking into the future the predicted joblessness is on a level
not seen since the dole queues of the last Tory era of the
1980s.
”But it is far more complex than benefit dependency and low
aspiration - housing, education and health inequalities are all
massive factors - all big ticket issues, also under concerted
attack by this government.”
Unite is also concerned that Iain Duncan Smith will lose out in the
Whitehall ‘turf war’ with chancellor George Osborne to get the
extra funds to make his plan for a single universal credit viable.
This is due to replace the current work-related benefits.’
Gail Cartmail said: ”Nobody believes for a second that Osborne
wants to help the poor, so how can Duncan Smith convince people
that the money will be there?
”The coalition's ultimate vision is taking shape; a massive shift
to a low-waged, low skill economy where we compete with emerging
economies, not on skills and innovation, but on the huge pool of
workers to hire-and-fire.
”No-one wants to see this country's talents languish on the dole.
Ministers are importing their ideas from the US – the land of the
food box and soup kitchen. Already in America we can see the social
and human agonies caused when welfare is withdrawn at a time when
dole queues are lengthening.”
ENDS
Notes to news editors: For further information, please contact Gail
Cartmail on 07768 931 305 and/or Unite communications officer,
Shaun Noble on 07768 693 940.
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