Letter – Government Placement Scheme isn’t fair

The law states that the  minimum wage for a person aged 21 or over is £6-31 per hour, 18 to 20  £5-03 per hour, under 18 £3-72 per hour and apprentice £2-68 per hour.

A person placed on the Government placement schemes for the unemployed  has to work for a minimum 30 hours per week,  Job seekers allowance for a person aged 21 or over is £72- 00 per week Divided by 30 hours equates to £2-40 per hour.

Does the Government deem this a fair days pay for fair days work? Each one of these persons has to undertake an induction for their prospective work place, some body has to be paid to perform this task, Then there is the cost of supplying PPE, (Personal Protection Equipment) IE boots, overalls, eye protection, gloves, hard hat, hi-viz jackets and in the winter they will need for water proofs. (Each person has to be measured for this PPE). Then put the cost of the equipment they will require to perform their tasks, IE litter pickers, shovels and spades, paint brushes, ECT. There’s no mention of being paid travel costs or meals on the information forms supplied.

The cost of all this must be astronomical, but then you look again at the amount per hour being paid to each operative and you soon come to the conclusion that they are paying for this equipment themselves. Yes each person should pay their way. It has to be fair. This just isn’t.

Ian Neil – Chairman UKIP Middlesbrough branch