Why Work for the Dole programs must be abolished
People shared their horror experiences about Work for the Dole, including not having training, a lack of safety equipment and having very little supervision at an Australian Unemployed Workers Union (AUWU) “Know Your Rights” forum on July 29.
It was designed to inform people about relevant laws and contractual obligations between the federal government, job providers and host organisations.
The event was held to commemorate 10 years since Josh Park-Fing died at his work-for-dole site.
AUWU members had attempted to meet with Andrew Giles, minister for skills and training to ask him why NEATO, the regional employment agency, not been held accountable.
They also wanted to know why Labor in government refuses to release the data on injuries sustained during work-for-the dole placements. Giles refused to meet and avoided calls.
After Park-Fing died, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations conducted an internal review in 2020, but the results were only released four years later. It found shortcomings in the employment provider’s risk assessment processes and incident reporting. It also noted that earlier incidents had........
