THE INTRODUCTION of the Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) has led to a number of campaigns being set up to oppose the JSA and the workfare scheme Project Work. Groups have been set up in a number of areas.
All these groups share a common opposition to both the JSA and to Project Work. However there has been an important debate amongst members of the various anti-JSA groups.
The debate centres around the idea of "Three Strikes and You're Out". which has been advocated by some unemployed activists. The policy has tended to be associated with the organisation Groundswell', although it is no longer the national policy of that group.
What does "Three Strikes" involve?
A leaflet from Counter-Information explains that Job Centre Staff found guilty of harassing claimants or cutting their benefits will receive a warning letter - as does their manager — that is STRIKE 1.
A repeat offence brings final written warnings A third anti-claimant crime by the same individual means photos of them and their manager will be fly-posted. And a claimant's demo will confront the culprits in their offices: this is STRIKE 3.
The policy is posed in slightly different ways by different groups, but the common thread is clear: Job Centre workers are seen as part of the problem rather than potential allies in the fight against the JSA.
For example, a leaflet from the Tameside Unemployed Group refers to "dole officials", never once calling job centre employees workers, far less mentioning that the vast majority of job centre workers ofpose the JSA.
The main union involved, the CPSA, has a policy of opposition to the imposition of the JSA.
What sort of campaign is needed?
Anti-JSA campaigns need to involve the employed and the unemployed. As part of this, there is a need to involve job centre workers in publicly opposing the SA. An example of the sort of unity that can be built is shown by the Hull Trades Council campaign against Project Work.
The campaign was initiated by the Trades Council following a motion being sent in by the CPSA Employment Service branch.
There has; been no question of secing CPSA members as being 'the problem': rather the aim has been to build a united front which demon. strates the sort of alliance we want to build.
The "Three Strikes' policy cuts across attempts to win over job con tre workers to actively oppose the JSA. Left activists in the CPSA are put on the defensive, as management and right-wing union officials combine to suggest that all anti-JSA activities are targeted at CPSA Three strikes' makes it more dif ficult to win over job centre workers and is, in reality, a gift to management and the right-wing leadership of the CPSA. Management have been keen to attempt to link CPSA left activists with Three Strikes, as they know the policy makes it more difficult to win Employment Serv. ice workers to active opposition to JSA.
Job centre workers and the unemployed have the same fundamental interests. Therefore, an alliance needs to be built, This will not be casy. The good formal anti-JSA pol. icy doesn't mean that all job centre workers (or all CPSA leaders) fully support that policy.
The activity of unemployed groups needs to be built up.
There is a need for sustained work around the job centres, aimed at building active opposition to JSA by claimants. This should involve leafleting, petitioning, occupations etc., which are co-ordinated with the job centre unions. The tactic of -benentn TUC. MYS JS OFFICIAL providers or to offer placements.
But it also involves a fight to win over charity workers and trade unionists in colleges Project Work cannot be fought solely at job centres, nor can it be successfully fought solely by unemployed workeTs.
What's behind Three Strikes?
It's clear that the main advocates of Three Strikes' tend to be from an anarchist background. However anarchists and syndicalists who opcrate within the existing trade unions and Trades Councils are often opposed to "Three Strikes. Support for "Three Strikes' is often linked with a rclusal to hight to put pres sureon the Labour Party and union leaderships to fight the JSA and Project Wotk.
In a similar vein, it is often assumed that the Labour and Conservative Parties have the same But it is not as simple as that. opposed to Project Work, so it is essential that campaigners use that formal opposition to help win over local councils to refuse to be involved. In the same way, many local Labour activists wish to see the repeal of the JSA.
John Prescott's constituency Labour Party is for the abolition of the ISA. The point here is not to sow illusions in Labour; rather it is to recognise that there are going to be big battles with a Blair government on the issues of benefits and workAny policy that cuts across build. ing the maximum possible unity in action against the Tories is a wrong policy. Supporters of "Three Strikes should think again, and help build a united struggle against JSA and workfare.
OFFICIAL DISPUTE