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date: 2 March 2009

embargo: 00.01hrs Tuesday 3 March 2009

Welfare Reform Bill is 'wrong Bill for the wrong time', says TUC

Speaking at the PCS welfare reform lobby at the House of Commons today (Tuesday) TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O'Grady will say that the Welfare Reform Bill is 'the wrong Bill for the wrong time', and that it will be resisted by unions.

Frances O'Grady will say: 'It's clear that aspects of the Welfare Reform Bill now going through Parliament are not fit for purpose. This is the wrong Bill for the wrong time: conceived in a boom, about to be implemented in a bust.

'The Government's ideas would be flawed at the best of times; but with Britain deep in recession, these are emphatically not the best of times.

'Just think about the implications. A new regime for jobseekers, limiting the time for job search and retraining.

'Tougher rules for parents, undermining the Government's pledge to halve and then end child poverty.

'The introduction of sanctions, stigmatising the most vulnerable as villains, not victims, and driving working people into poverty.

'And the privatisation and break up of a world-class public service, with private contractors profiting from joblessness.

'This is the reality confronting us. Why, after the near collapse of free-market capitalism, does the Government press ahead with an agenda of privatisation, marketisation and competition? Why, during the worst economic crisis for generations, is there seemingly one rule for the rich and another one for the rest?

'The contrast could not be starker. Bailouts for the bankers, punishments for the poor - welfare for Wall St, workfare for working people. That is unacceptable; and we will resist it.

'So what are the answers? How do we create a welfare system that delivers in this downturn? The TUC is campaigning for a change of direction: for policies that give ordinary working people the help they need when they need it. We have already secured some important concessions - not least the welcome scrapping of plans to make disabled people look for jobs or risk losing benefits.

'But we need to go further. That means more generous benefits to stop people falling into poverty, and the TUC has been proud to lead the call for an immediate increase of £15 a week in Jobseekers Allowance.

'That means helping unemployed workers into proper retraining schemes and jobs that pay the going rate.

'And that means giving Jobcentre Plus and the dedicated staff who work in it the resources and the support they need to make a difference where it is needed most.

'Make no mistake: our welfare state has never been more needed than now. It is one of Britain's greatest achievements. A genuine safety net for everyone: won through the campaigning of generations of socialists, trade unionists and progressive reformers. And we are not about to give up on that legacy now.

'So today let our message go out clearly. We will resist any changes that diminish our welfare system. We will stand up for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society. And that we will continue to fight for what we believe in.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- Frances O' Grady will speak at the PCS welfare reform lobby at the House of Commons at 1.55pm. For more information about the lobby contact Hannah Charnock on 07768 178202.

- The TUC has produced two leaflets to help working people in the recession, Coping with the Economic Downturn (produced with input from Citizens Advice) and Facing Redundancy. Both leaflets can be downloaded for free from www.worksmart.org.uk - the TUC's world of work website - which contains questions and answers on all aspects of redundancy. In addition, the TUC's Know Your Rights Line on 0870 600 4882 (national rate, daily 8am-10pm) offers information to callers on a wide range of workplace issues including redundancy.

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (800 words) issued 3 Mar 2009