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Unemployed Centres.
In the Beginning
Unemployed Centre's were established in the early 80's as part
of the T.U.C's policy of controlling the then independent Claimants Unions which
were affiliated to neither the TUC nor the Labour Party. The Centre in Kirkby and
those in Merseyside were host to a number of organizations and dominated by the
Labour Party's 'militants' and Union shop stewards and minor officials.
These Centre's tried to present an image of being radical organisations,
Kirkby's left wingers at the time flocked to the Centre and there were
some decent genuine people looking for change.
Fighting Maggie Thatcher
The Centre's or there masters the T.U.C. began to talk about 'organizing
the unemployed' (something they neglected whilst Labour were in power)
and a lot of coaches were organized to go to various demonstrations and
pickets, offering the unemployed free places. The Centre became a sort of
gathering point for various groups and individuals opposed to the Thatcher
government, and the management of the Centre would actively encourage opposition
to the Tory Governments cuts in benefit and the use of 'snoopers' by
the DSS. Looking back it's obvious that the TUC was simply using the
Centre's to muster support for a Labour Victory, the Centre was Labour
through and through and the revolutionary posturing of the Centre's
staff would soon be seen to be just posturing and nothing else.
T.G.W.U. Dodgy Union?
The Centre's opposition to the Tories Youth Training Schemes seems funny now
you look at the number of dodgy and useless schemes which have been based at
the Centre since.(including the Prince Charles Trust Scheme) It was so easy to oppose the Tories, but the real test
of Kirkby's so called socialists came when Tory Blair came into Power.
During the Labour Years the Fat Cats of the Unions were sipping tea in
10 Downing Street whilst making comfy deals for themselves. The hypocrisy
of both the Labour Party and the Unions would soon be exposed once Blair
and his cronies came to power. The Liverpool Dockers were shafted by their
own Union the TGWU. Bill Morris the General Secretary of this Union is
also a Director for the Bank of England. The TGWU use Kirkby Unemployed
Centre to meet and the Centre has been very supportive of the Union over the Years.
Looking back, it was a wasted effort. The working classes were used by
this Union and whilst some local shop stewards have done very well out
of their associations, most normal members of the TGWU get shafted.
More Managers than Workers!
The Unemployed Centre is run by the usual management committee. In this case,
in the most recent report we have, the number of Unemployed members on this
management committee were numbered at 4. Knowsley Council had 4 members
allocated and the same numbers came from Knowsley Trades Council.All together
there are 32 seats on the commitee! We
publish below a list of the management committee elected on January 1999;
we'll publish an updated list soon.
Kirkby Unemployed Centre Management Commitee(1999)
Knowsley Trades Council: 4 Seats: May Stone,
Mark Ward(see below), Dave Shaw and May Stone.
Knowsley Borough Council: 4 Seats:
Brian Williams (3 vacant)
Unemployed Members:
Terry Seagraves, Theresa Goodwin, Mary Vickers, Jimmy Stone.
Community Organisations: Cathy Mc Devitt,
(Kirkby Retired Members Association) Jim Dempsey (Northwood Credit Union)
Freda Haggis (Women's Community Action Group) and Maureen Dunwoody
(Multiskilled Resource Centre)
Voluntary Sector Organisations 4 Seats Maggie O' Carrol (Train 2000)
Trish Dinan (Management Associates)
Employed OFFA Contributors
2 Seats Steve Donnelly (Delco Electrics) Steve Newman/Mally Sharpe (Yorkshire Copper Tubing)
Individual Member Seats 10 members: Alan Kelly,
Mike Maguire, Carol Austin, Peter Mc Portland Mary Lynch, Fran Lovett,
Melanie Griffiths.
That's a staggering 32 Members of a management
Committee and only 4 of them actually unemployed! Many of these people
belong to several Committees' and some have since moved on to manage various
local projects. Kirkby Unemployed Centre must be the only organisation where
the management outnumbers the workers! But it gets worse.
A letter to the management....
The Author of this article delivered by hand to the Unemployed Centre on
the 18th May 1999, a letter asking what the Unemployed Centre was
going to do about the harassment of local unemployed. New Labour
had bought in the most vicious anti working class legislation ever
seen under the 'New Deal for the Unemployed'. My letter simply asked
what the Centre would be doing about these attacks. Only weeks earlier
I had been threatened with loss of benefit and like many other Unemployed
was being pressured into taking up a variety of Low Paid Mickey Mouse Jobs
and a glut of Training schemes. My letter was never answered, but a follow
up phone call to a Mark Ward confirmed my fears that those
involved in the Centre cared little for the Unemployed they
claim to represent. Mark Ward told me that 'The Unemployed
Centre critically supports the New Deal for the Unemployed'.
This statement is hypocrisy in the highest order and Mark Ward's
left wing socialist credibility's can be seen for the sham they are.
The working class fighters of yesteryear would laugh at the antics
of these 'comrades'.
Below, A Job advert from Kirkby Job Centre, not that Mark Ward
will have noticed it........
CARE ASSISTANT IN BOOTLE £2.75 PER HOUR Age 25 + Experience essential to
bathe, dress, feed and tend to the needs of elderly residents in a
residential home. (one of the jobs unemployed were being bullied into.)
Courtesy of Kirkby Job Centre.
Welfare Advice Workers everywhere!
The Centre's main business is representing people for DSS benefits.
This has now developed into a very profitable business and many
solicitors in Liverpool have certainly used the unemployed to make
a fast buck. There were a lot of people trained to be Welfare Advisors
in the Unemployed Centre, most, though not all had little
background in politics and certainly no intention of ever
fighting for the Unemployed. Merseyside has Hundreds of
welfare advice workers, trained by the Unemployed Centre's.(including Jim Keights Daughter,
Keight was involved with Huyton Unemployed Centre, more to come on this)
Most have not got a clue what the New Deal means, none have
any clues about how we, the Unemployed fight it. Many of these
Welfare Rights Advisors will move on to join private companies
which will use the New Deal to make money out of the Unemployed.
It costs less to keep a person on the dole than it does to send them
to a Mickey Mouse Training Scheme.Whilst welfare advice is important,
if it is not tied in with fighting for Welfare rights, it just becomes a business.
Sexual Harrasment, Liverpool City Councillor involved!
The Unemployed Centre in Kirkby saw a member of the advice team, a manager,
Steve Munby(details here) sacked for allegedly sexually harassing another member of
the Welfare Rights team, a woman who has since moved on. Steve Munby
was accused of sexual harassment and the accusation or grievance was upheld.
Steve Munby is now a Councilor for Liverpool City Council, representing the
Abercromby Ward. Maybe the Unemployed Centre may wish to disclose whether
there was a payout in respect to this matter. Sexual Harassment is no
joke, but, like the Race Card, it can be sometimes be played by unscrupulous
people to maximum advantage by those looking to earn a buck.
The Centre's report for 1998-1999 dedicates more space to this
incident than to the introduction of the New Deal and its
effects on ALL of Kirkby's unemployed. The report states
'The Team (welfare advice Team) are still scarred by
these events' and steps were being made to get 'anti harassment training
for all staff and management committee members as soon as possible'.
This is an example of political correctness gone mad. Who the hell
is so thick they need to have 'anti harassment training' to
know what and what not to do in work? Recent Politically correct
and insane courses held in Kirkby(more funds wasted) include
"Handling Difficult Situations in the Workplace - (2 days) Tuesday 11th and Tuesday 18th.
A 2 day course on successful strategies to deal with conflict, aggression,
stress and difficult people in the workplace ! Venue : Kirkby.And also
Using the telephone in the workplace - (2 days) 25th & 26th A two-day course
on using the phone to get yourself into a job and
keeping yourself there! Venue: Huyton." Thousands are being wasted on similar courses and
workshops.
Some of Kirkby Unemployed Centre's Own Staff and trainee's Not in Union!
The Centre is making much play of its radical past and links to Unions
and the TUC.The hypocrisy becomes all too clear though when you look at
the Centre's actions regarding trainee's and Staff who work there.
Some of the Welfare Advice Workers or trainee's are not actually in a Union.
Its doubtfull any of the "£10 a week on top of your dole"
trainee's would have been able to afford to join. This
is pretty much typical of the Management in the Centre to organise
'anti harassment training' whilst neglecting to let one of the shop
stewards who frequent the Centre inform the staff and trainee's as to why joining
a Union is a good idea. Whilst the Unions are mostly led by SCUM it's
still a good idea to join, give your shop steward hell and at least be
afforded decent legal representation and solidarity from other members.
Part of the Aims and objectives of the Unemployed Centre state 'To support
and promote the interests of Working people' Pity the 32 strong
management committee never thought to apply that to some of their own
staff and trainee's. Word of advice; steer clear of the TGWU.
Below:Joe Hill, 'hero' of many of the Centre's old hands. Truth is, Joe Hill would be likely organising
a picket of the centre itself for their treacherous associations with the stooges of capitalism.
Most of the left wing on Merseyside seem to be able to kid themselves Joe Hill would shake em by the hand
and congratulate them for being good comrades.
Merseyside TUC response to New Deal a JOKE
The Centre today has no involvement in any radical political organisations.
Years ago Kirkby CND used the Centre and the younger unemployed went
along to many pickets and demonstrations, fighting the Police
and ultimately being used by the TUC who dropped us as soon as Labour got in power.
The TUC is a toothless Puppy when it comes to fighting the Government.
It has always been good at using the Working Class as Muscle to back there
own selfish interests. The TUC on Merseyside, led by Alec Mc Fadden, are
useless left wing dinosaurs who are more interested in parading their
own self important little ego's than fighting for the working classes.
An anti new deal Public meeting in 1999 organised by Merseyside TUC
was attended by 4, including the 2 speakers myself and the token Special
branch plant. This was no accident; the TUC played down the issue,
issued no posters or leaflets and then claimed 'lack of interest'
as a reason to ignore the issue. Alec Mc Fadden, like most of the TUC
clique on Merseyside, were 'too busy' on the night in question
to offer support for the Unemployed. No surprise the Unemployed
Centre's management on Merseyside (which must run into 100+)
were not there, they were making plans to actually support
the new deal, and as the latest news shows, are up to their
necks in deals with even the DSS themselves.
DWP's 'Action For Jobs'Teams to use Kirkby Unemployed Centre.
The DSS is now called the Department for Works and Pensions, and on
their national Website (Oct 2002) there is an advertisement for the
DWP 'Action for Jobs Teams' The Unemployed Centre has cut a deal with this collection
of Government beaurocrats and the 'Kirkby Team' will be using the Unemployment Centre amongst
other places, wasting more money on yet more 'employment advisors'. We seem to have
more employment advisors than Jobs here! The Unemployed Centre's Staff are
no doubt mostly unaware of this move, and a letter asking for explanations
(sent to Merseyside Unemployed Centre by email) will likely be ignored( so far it has!),
just like they ignored me when I warned of the consequences of being
involved with the Government too much. This latest move is a disgrace,
and the Management Committee of the Unemployed Centre have fell victim
to their own greed for government grants and hand-outs. With this money
comes a price, that price is the silence of Kirkby's former political
activists. 99% of the clowns up here who call themselves left wing
or socialist are lying through their front teeth. They are NOT
fighting for the Unemployed; they are using us as an issue to
pay off their mortgages. The unemployed are simply 'Clients'
to these Unemployed Centre's.
Below a Call Centre Training Course (3 Day) held in Kirkby
Unemployed Centre.Did this include advice to join a union? We hope so as the Call Centre industry is notorious
for poor conditions.
A TUC hotline set up for call centre employees
in the UK to report unhealthy practices has been
flooded with calls. Amongst the worst examples are
employers' attitudes to toilet breaks, from keeping
logs of time spent on the loo to forcing the person
needing most frequent breaks to wear a nappy. The Call
Centre Management Association (CCMA) was disappointed with
the poor management in some call centres. Meanwhile a
report by the Industrial Society suggested a link
between badly run call centres and mental health
problems. The report, New Work, New Stress, indicated
that the obsession with efficiency and productivity
resulted in reduced control for employees, a significant
factor in mental health problems .Nice to see Kirkby Unemployed Centre
making a few quid from the so called 'Dark Mills' of the 21st century:
Call Centre's.
Welfare Advice an Industry
There has been an industry set up revolving around welfare advice.
It used to be referred to as Welfare Rights, but the Rights don't
exist now New Labour has changed the Rules. The pressure on local
unemployed people is horrendous, yet there has been NO attempt by
Kirkby's loud mouthed brigade to open their mouths since Tory Blair
and his gang of Middle Class cronies got in Power. During the 80's
the Unemployed Centre was involved in campaigns to stop DSS Snoops,
and campaigned vigorously against the Tories 'Youth opportunity schemes',
even encouraging local school kids to strike. The riots in Kirkby were
a measure of the anger of the youth here in the 80's , and many of us
in Kirkby fought on Picket Lines, backed and organized by the TUC,
who, as stated before, were prepared to drop the Unemployed as soon as
a Labour Victory was secured.
Aims and Objectives:Somethings missing.
The Unemployed today, especially younger people, are
sadly let down by Kirkby's political players. The radical
left politics of the 80's has disappeared in Kirkby. If
you look at the Unemployed Centre's 'Aims and Objectives
you will read the following line, which is on EVERY aims
and objectives from every political organisation in Kirkby,
Liverpool, and indeed, the UK. The statement is as follows……….
"To combat ALL discrimination on the grounds of
race, colour, creed, gender, age, marital status
or sexual orientation."
What about Class Prejudice?
Nowhere does it mention Class Prejudice. The Unemployed of Kirkby and most
other people here have little experience of race prejudice or sexual harassment
(unless you work in Kirkby Unemployed Centre). Like it or not (and the trendy
left won't) Most of us are not gay, black, religious or thinking of going in
for a sex change. Most of us in Kirkby suffer prejudice because of a simple
fact, one which should be at the TOP of any damn Aims and Objectives.
CLASS PREDUJICE.
More to come!
Kirkby times will feature more reports on developments with the DWP
staff using the Unemployed Centre and K.E.E.P (see here) to interview
the unemployed. Hopefully we can find out which of Kirkby's
political players has landed the jobs, and have some photos and cartoons.
There will be more features on Kirkby's political organisations
to follow! Coming soon, Kirkby Women's Community Action Group
(what action?- try fighting this:) and more stuff as info comes in. Thanks
to everyone who has forwarded info, keep sending in your
news items and observations on what's happening in local politics.
This article is dedicated to Tommy Bradbourne, a man who spoke
more sense than all the Committee's in Kirkby.
Any complaints about the content of this or any other article in Kirkby times should be sent in the first
instance to the webmaster. Theres a lot of articles on Kirkby Times and mistakes, as we all know, can happen.
If any of the contents seem to be incorrect, please email. Thanks. Unlike a lot of organisations in Kirkby, you'll get a prompt reply.
Back to Top
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Local Issue's: Kirkby Unemployed Centre.
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Sonae Polluters
Knowsley Housing Trust, would you trust them?
Heroin Addicts in Kirkby
CCTV, what use is it?
Get Rid of Jim Keight.
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