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Government Watch - 2

(967 Posts)
whitewave Wed 26-Jul-17 13:27:27

Very much needed.

First happy thing to report.

Unison have won their case making it illegal to charge employees for employment litigation. Introduced by the Tories in 2013.

The judges quite rightly said it was wrong to make it difficult/impossible for anyone to resort to law.

Those who paid will be reimbursed.

durhamjen Mon 28-Aug-17 10:37:11

www.channel4.com/news/police-investigating-conservative-party-over-use-of-welsh-call-centre-during-general-election

Electoral commission now investigating as well. As long as they both don't leave it up to the other one.
It could mean ten by-elections.

durhamjen Mon 28-Aug-17 12:33:43

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/27/stephen-hawking-nhs-wrong-policy-jeremy-hunt

Hunt still digging his big hole.

durhamjen Mon 28-Aug-17 14:31:51

skwawkbox.org/2017/08/28/opportunism-meets-genius-to-give-nhs-staff-a-boost-and-hunt-palpitations/

Hunt on a train.

durhamjen Tue 29-Aug-17 12:32:56

David Gauke is really stupid.

www.24housing.co.uk/news/no-pause-in-universal-credit/

He says that 80% of claimants get paid at the end of their first assessment period.
So anyone going onto universal credit in November will be paid 5-6 weeks after that. They will have no money in the run up to Christmas, which is what the letter says.
Is he just trying to be thick?
He might be able to wait 5-6 weeks for any money into his bank account, but those already on benefits cannot.

Welshwife Tue 29-Aug-17 15:18:01

It would be interesting to know how these people on the UC are finding jobs so much faster - where are the jobs coming from that they are getting?
I know that the experience of people I know who have had periods of feign unemployed - firms closing, contracts ending etc have taken a while to find another job.

durhamjen Tue 29-Aug-17 16:35:34

According to this government, even having a zero hours contract is being employed, Welshwife.

Welshwife Tue 29-Aug-17 18:35:27

Yes - I find that a tad of a contradiction as I believe many of those people are not 'allowed' to take another job - they need to be 100% available without any money guarantee.

durhamjen Tue 29-Aug-17 22:33:21

Government getting even more ridiculous.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/aug/29/joiner-shane-ridge-born-and-raised-in-britain-told-to-leave-home-office

durhamjen Wed 30-Aug-17 00:41:41

fullfact.org/economy/what-unemployment/
Just came across this. Very kind of them to give us a definition.

durhamjen Wed 30-Aug-17 11:41:00

Just read this. Food banks the only growth industry in the UK according to the Trussell Trust. In 2009/10 there were only 40,000 three day food parcels handed out. Now there are over a million.

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/29/food-poverty-is-new-normal-in-uk-we-adopted-from-the-states

durhamjen Wed 30-Aug-17 11:45:32

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/29/too-ill-to-get-to-jobcentre-disabled-people-may-still-be-sanctioned

70,000 disabled people have had their benefits stopped.

durhamjen Wed 30-Aug-17 11:59:05

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dwp-disabled-people-benefits-legal-action-lose-government-work-pensions-department-frank-field-mp-a7886166.html

And this is how much it costs us to stop these people getting benefits.

durhamjen Wed 30-Aug-17 13:18:24

This is interesting, Welshwife. I wonder how this fits in with being avaiable for work and doing jobsearches online all week.

www.theguardian.com/business/2017/aug/30/poundland-work-free-government-scheme-dwp

Welshwife Wed 30-Aug-17 15:06:46

When my Stepson was made redundant because the building company he worked for went under he found it difficult to find another job - at the time little building work about. After a few months he was offered a work placement at a garden centre for two weeks and told it could lead to a job. He built them a nice wall and patio area - all curved and different levels - brought back photos to show us. After the two weeks no job. The following year he was offered the same work experience again - but said to the Job Centre it was a con and would not go.
B and M stores did take people from one of the back to work schemes for training for three months and if successful possible long term job. The person I know was given four hours a week and paid for it- about the same as dole money I think. She was then offered a further four hours as some one left the scheme. After three months everyone had to go and they took another bunch on for three months. Not sure if they still do that.
So many scams with companies using Govt initiatives to get subsidised staff.

whitewave Wed 30-Aug-17 18:52:44

The question is this -

Will Maybot be programmed to sack Johnson this autumn?
The following comments have been made recently

Lord Kerr-described him as a total liability
Brussels -he is unreliable and seen as a gambler who may or may not have supported Brexit.
Foreign Office - officials not keen - find him an embarrassment
Like walking behind a horse shovelling it's shit.
Cannot be trusted with intelligence

durhamjen Wed 30-Aug-17 23:07:40

She says she's determined to stay on and fight the next election, and Johnson says he fully supports her.

Neither of them listening, obviously.

Eloethan Wed 30-Aug-17 23:35:29

A friend of mine - a very pleasant, hardworking but not particularly assertive young woman - was shamelessly bullied by her employer. In the end her confidence was so undermined and she was so distraught that she just gave in her notice with no job to go to. I was going to support her in claiming "constructive dismissal" but as it is known to be quite difficult to prove, she felt she could not risk losing the Tribunal fee and so did nothing.

Fortunately, she now has another job so it turned out all right in the end.

Although there are "vexatious litigants" and they should, in my opinion, be dealt with more firmly, I believe that the vast majority of applicants to the Tribunal are genuine.

whitewave Thu 31-Aug-17 09:06:25

So do I eleothan

My relative ended up being quite ill by the bullying she experienced. In fact she resigned and had to work her notice but her doctor would not sign her off saying she should not return as she had been so badly affected.

She has since after a period of 6 months recovery and being unemployed obtained another post. She has received glowing posts from ofsted. This has helped boost her shattered confidence, but looking back, it is outrageous that employers can treat their staff so badly. One wonders if they have any humanity.
She never applied to a tribunal as she was too poorly to contemplate it.

I suspect for every tribunal case there is another that never materialises for reasons like my relative.

illtellhim Thu 31-Aug-17 09:12:31

I was one of the people who thought he would be prime minister because he would be a laugh, now I think May will go before Johnson.

durhamjen Thu 31-Aug-17 09:26:17

For those who believe in free speech. I hope you are lobbying to get this bill overturned.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lobbying-act-charities-muzzled-mps-commons-agenda-parliament-rules-greenpeace-save-the-children-a7918416.html

durhamjen Thu 31-Aug-17 09:28:57

How interesting, illtellhim.
You think the prime minister of the United Kingdom should be a laugh.
We're enough of a laughing stock with Johnson as foreign minister, and Brexit. I don't think we need him as PM.

whitewave Thu 31-Aug-17 09:37:44

To the surprise and annoyance to many in the Tory party Maybot has announced a reboot which she thinks will carry her forward to the next millenia.

illtellhim Thu 31-Aug-17 09:46:27

Sadly durhamjen, I just don't take life seriously, can't be arsed and when you look at trump says it all really.

The good people of Texas rose to the occasion in the aftermath of the worst rains in living memory, and rescued 100s if not 1000s of people from their flooded homes and then they called the National Guard in to protect those very same homes from looters.

On a Happy note going shopping now.

whitewave Thu 31-Aug-17 14:26:47

Osborne has been one of the first to put the boot in.

Headlines in the Standard will make you grin!

He talks about Maybot being the living dead and staggering on etc

durhamjen Thu 31-Aug-17 14:52:02

Do you think Osborne considers himself a Tory grandee yet?