Agenda item

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Ben Curran

That this Council:

 

(a)        believes that work should pay and therefore opposes the introduction of schemes which force job seekers into unpaid work or face losing their benefits – schemes known popularly as workfare;

 

(b)       is concerned that there is no evidence workfare assists job seekers in finding work and in fact working a 30-hour week makes that more difficult; that workfare is replacing paid work; and that workfare stigmatises benefits claimants and locks them further into poverty; and

 

(c)        pledges not to use any workfare placements and will also encourage contractors not to use the schemes.

Minutes:

 

Workfare Schemes

 

 

 

It was moved by Councillor Ben Curran, seconded by Councillor Nikki Bond, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       believes that work should pay and therefore opposes the introduction of schemes which force job seekers into unpaid work or face losing their benefits – schemes known popularly as workfare;

 

(b)       is concerned that there is no evidence workfare assists job seekers in finding work and in fact working a 30-hour week makes that more difficult; that workfare is replacing paid work; and that workfare stigmatises benefits claimants and locks them further into poverty; and

 

(c)        pledges not to use any workfare placements and will also encourage contractors not to use the schemes.

 

 

 

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Andrew Sangar, seconded by Councillor Ian Auckland, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the addition of the following words therefor:-

 

 

 

(a)       supports the numerous steps the Government have taken to support young people into work, including:

 

 

 

(i)         increasing spending on apprenticeships in its first year by £250 million – a 50% increase on the previous Government’s commitments;

 

 

 

(ii)        implementing a £1 billion Youth Contract, to tackle unemployment among 16-24 year-olds; and

 

 

 

(iii)       introducing University Technical Colleges, delivering vital skills and training to young people;

 

 

 

(b)       welcomes the latest employment statistics that show that there is now a record number of people in Sheffield in work;

 

 

 

(c)        welcomes that the proportion of young people in England not in education, employment or training (NEETs) has fallen to the lowest level since records began in 1994;

 

 

 

(d)       furthermore notes the expectation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that the British economy would grow faster in the first six months of this year than any other G7 economy;

 

 

 

(e)       contrasts this record of action with the disastrous performance of the previous Government, where youth employment rose by almost 75% between 2001 and 2010;

 

 

 

(f)        recalls that when workfare legislation passed through the House of Commons in March 2013, the majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party refused to vote against the measures;

 

 

 

(g)       notes the latest comments by the Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband MP that young unemployed people who refuse to take part in mandatory schemes could lose their benefits under a Labour Government;

 

 

 

(h)       furthermore regrets the rhetoric of the former Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, the Rt. Hon. Liam Byrne MP, who was criticised in the national media as “playing to the Right-whinge gallery”; and

 

 

 

(i)         believes that members of the majority group continue to act in a completely hypocritical manner and should concentrate on altering the position of their own national front-bench.

 

 

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived. 

 

The original Motion was then put to the vote and carried, as follows:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       believes that work should pay and therefore opposes the introduction of schemes which force job seekers into unpaid work or face losing their benefits – schemes known popularly as workfare;

 

(b)       is concerned that there is no evidence workfare assists job seekers in finding work and in fact working a 30-hour week makes that more difficult; that workfare is replacing paid work; and that workfare stigmatises benefits claimants and locks them further into poverty; and

 

(c)        pledges not to use any workfare placements and will also encourage contractors not to use the schemes.

 

 

 

 

The votes on the Motion were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:

 

 

 

 

For the Motion (58)

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The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Talib Hussain) and Councillors Julie Dore, Mike Drabble, Jack Scott, Roy Munn, Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Stuart Wattam, Brian Webster, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain, Jillian Creasy, Robert Murphy, Sarah Jane Smalley, Anne Murphy, Geoff Smith, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Steve Wilson, Joyce Wright, Sheila Constance, Alan Law, Chris Weldon, Steve Jones, Bob Johnson, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Terry Fox, Pat Midgley, David Barker, Isobel Bowler, Tony Downing, Nasima Akther, Nikki Bond, Qurban Hussain, John Campbell, Lynn Rooney, Paul Wood, Peter Price, Sioned-Mair Richards, Leigh Bramall, Tony Damms, Gill Furniss, Richard Crowther, Philip Wood, Olivia Blake, Ben Curran, Neale Gibson, Adam Hurst, Alf Meade, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Ray Satur.

 

 

 

 

 

Against the Motion  (0)

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Nil

 

 

 

 

 

Abstained on the Motion  (22)

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The Lord Mayor (Councillor Peter Rippon) andCouncillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Rob Frost, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Pauline Andrews, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Diana Stimely, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, David Baker, Katie Condliffe, Vickie Priestley, Jack Clarkson and John Booker.