The government is waging war on the poor. Convincing Australians that millions of victims of this pandemic and economic shutdowns have brought insecurity upon themselves is their aim: "Lazy" "job-snobs" despite a Depression-level collapse in jobs and none to "seek". THREAD (1/8)
Their is an unholy alliance between private unemployment services and the welfare bureaucracy. Billions in public $ is handed to parasitic unemployment "industry" with their activities backed by full force of sanctions. Why is Morrison weaponising unemployment payments? (2/8)
Low income supports reinforce a low-wages IR agenda & protect insecure forms of work. This labour form turns a tidy profit to big companies. The harsh mutual obligations system puts the whole agenda in motion. Today govt reintroduces this system nationally (VIC intro delayed)(3/8
Mutual obligations denies people the basic dignity of any other free worker, forcing the poor to accept shitty jobs or have their payments cut & risk their ability to eat, pay rent, feed their kids. Govt has given unemployed no protections against hyper-exploitation. (4/8)
Cuts to JK & deepening recession will see ranks of unemployed swell to many millions in coming months. 00s/000s who've never known this system will see its inhumanity. The pool will be more diverse than any point in history: by tenancy there are more mortgagees than renters! 5/8)
Unemployed people need rights to refuse work that is insufficient and poorly paid. As contagion rages and threatens new outbreaks in Australia, we need to ensure every job on offer has paid sick leave, security & pay enough so multiple jobs are not a necessity of survival. (6/8)
Morrison's war on the unemployed will intensify. We must back in the organisation of those putting up the fight. Good on @AusUnemployment calling a national action today against mutual obligations & calls for govt to lift # & quality of jobs. (7/8) auwu.substack.com/p/auwu-calls-m…
If solidarity base is broadened across across civil society & unions to create plentiful good jobs, we could root out insecure work AND forced low-wage labour programs: both dark features of Australian history that stop us #buildingbackbetter post-pandemic. END.
