View allAll Photos Tagged Jobseekers
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
Workfare protest at Salvation Army International HQ - 18.03.2013
On 18th March 2013 a small group of activists from campaign group Boycott Workfare descended on the Salvation Army International HQ and peacefully protested in the entrance foyer against the organisation's use of unpaid coerced labour supplied - under the threat of up to three years' sanctions and complete loss of all benefits - by the DWP.
The protesters note that the Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu said publicly several months ago that Workfare is immoral and should be stopped, and BoycottWorkfare say it is gross hypocrisy that a religious charity claiming to support the oppressed should benefit from coerced and exploited labour, especially when it is proven that the policy of forcing unemployed people to work for nothing directly affects the wages and working hours of the already employed, driving wages down and forcing more people to claim housing benefit and tax credits as they are unable to survive on their reduced wages.
The protesters made great use of several biblical quotes to demonstrate what they claim is the Salvation Army's hypocrisy, especially Jeremiah 22:13 "Woe to him that useth his neighbour's services without wages" and Luke 10:7 "The labourer is worthy of his hire".
Some time after the small number of photojournalists including myself had left the protest a Major from the Salvation Army met the protesters and expressed shock and surprise to hear that the UK branch of the organisation was using workfare labour in Salvation Army charity shops. Explaining that the International organisation has nothning to do with UK employment practices the Major said the protesters were very welcome to stay on the premises of the International headquarters until closing, but also invited them to go to the Salvation Army UK Headquarters in South London to discuss the matter.
The protesters duly accepted the Major's invitation and went to the UK HQ, whereupon they were set upon by members of staff who demanded the protesters hand over their mobile phones and cameras, physically jostled them, then forcibly prevented any protesters from leaving and simultaneously accusing them of trespass. One protester managed to escape the false imprisonment only to be arrested by police, having been falsely accused of assault by Salvation Army UK staff members - none of whom apparently announced they were security staff, as they are supposed to do if they are in fact security staff.
Soon afterwards the police, having assessed the situation and observing that the protesters were being falsely imprisoned realised that the claims made by the Salvation Army staff were completely false, they de-arrested the protester and ordered the Salvation Army staff release the other protesters, having first explained to the Salvation Army employees that false imprisonment is a criminal act.
Because of the extraordinary behaviour meted out to the protesters today Boycott Workfare groups have called for a day of online action against the Salvation Army UK in response to these events. More details can be found at www.boycottworkfare.org
All photos © 2013 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or blog my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion
Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix
Standard industry rates apply.
If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.
Vigil as House of Lords debates Welfare Reform Bill: London, 11.01.2012
Activists from the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2KT) and Single Mothers Self-Defence (SMSD) lobbied the House of Lords and held a vigil in Old Palace Yard opposite the Lords' Entrance on 11.01.2012 as the House of Lords gave its last reading and debate of the governement's Welfare Reform Bill and Benefit caps before it passes into law. The campaigners are extremely anxious about this bill which, if passed as is, will see hundreds of thousands of children, the sick and the disabled, plunged into inescapable poverty and homelessness from which many of them will never emerge.
The Welfare Reform Bill introduces Universal Credit to replace existing benefits including income-based Jobseeker's Allowance; income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Income Support; Housing Benefit; Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. The Bill also makes provision for the Personal Independence Payment which will replace the existing Disability Living Allowance for over-16s.
The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust specialises in helping vulnerable debtors to gain justice from unfair systems and campaigns on a wide range of issues surrounding poverty, and the Single Mothers Self-Defence is a network of single mothers campaigning against benefit cuts and policies forcing single mothers on benefits to take on unwaged work.
The protesters were joined by political artist Kaya Mar, who showed his latest painting which portrays Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip on their uppers in a poverty-stricken Britain. The Queen holds two magazines promoting her Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year which will cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds and will lose many more millions of lose work hours to the economy than did the one-day strike on Nov 30th 2011!
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
Workfare protest at Salvation Army International HQ - 18.03.2013
On 18th March 2013 a small group of activists from campaign group Boycott Workfare descended on the Salvation Army International HQ and peacefully protested in the entrance foyer against the organisation's use of unpaid coerced labour supplied - under the threat of up to three years' sanctions and complete loss of all benefits - by the DWP.
The protesters note that the Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu said publicly several months ago that Workfare is immoral and should be stopped, and BoycottWorkfare say it is gross hypocrisy that a religious charity claiming to support the oppressed should benefit from coerced and exploited labour, especially when it is proven that the policy of forcing unemployed people to work for nothing directly affects the wages and working hours of the already employed, driving wages down and forcing more people to claim housing benefit and tax credits as they are unable to survive on their reduced wages.
The protesters made great use of several biblical quotes to demonstrate what they claim is the Salvation Army's hypocrisy, especially Jeremiah 22:13 "Woe to him that useth his neighbour's services without wages" and Luke 10:7 "The labourer is worthy of his hire".
Some time after the small number of photojournalists including myself had left the protest a Major from the Salvation Army met the protesters and expressed shock and surprise to hear that the UK branch of the organisation was using workfare labour in Salvation Army charity shops. Explaining that the International organisation has nothning to do with UK employment practices the Major said the protesters were very welcome to stay on the premises of the International headquarters until closing, but also invited them to go to the Salvation Army UK Headquarters in South London to discuss the matter.
The protesters duly accepted the Major's invitation and went to the UK HQ, whereupon they were set upon by members of staff who demanded the protesters hand over their mobile phones and cameras, physically jostled them, then forcibly prevented any protesters from leaving and simultaneously accusing them of trespass. One protester managed to escape the false imprisonment only to be arrested by police, having been falsely accused of assault by Salvation Army UK staff members - none of whom apparently announced they were security staff, as they are supposed to do if they are in fact security staff.
Soon afterwards the police, having assessed the situation and observing that the protesters were being falsely imprisoned realised that the claims made by the Salvation Army staff were completely false, they de-arrested the protester and ordered the Salvation Army staff release the other protesters, having first explained to the Salvation Army employees that false imprisonment is a criminal act.
Because of the extraordinary behaviour meted out to the protesters today Boycott Workfare groups have called for a day of online action against the Salvation Army UK in response to these events. More details can be found at www.boycottworkfare.org
All photos © 2013 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or blog my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion
Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix
Standard industry rates apply.
If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.
IBM based internship for freshers.
Job Profile : IT Analyst.
Gender - Male and Female & both
Monthly income- 25k to 35 k
Any Graduates can apply
Hurry up!!!!
Apply online: - lnkd.in/gjQSC7py
Check Our success Story: - bit.ly/3uUGPtV
Dial: 9811722065
Workfare protest at Salvation Army International HQ - 18.03.2013
On 18th March 2013 a small group of activists from campaign group Boycott Workfare descended on the Salvation Army International HQ and peacefully protested in the entrance foyer against the organisation's use of unpaid coerced labour supplied - under the threat of up to three years' sanctions and complete loss of all benefits - by the DWP.
The protesters note that the Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu said publicly several months ago that Workfare is immoral and should be stopped, and BoycottWorkfare say it is gross hypocrisy that a religious charity claiming to support the oppressed should benefit from coerced and exploited labour, especially when it is proven that the policy of forcing unemployed people to work for nothing directly affects the wages and working hours of the already employed, driving wages down and forcing more people to claim housing benefit and tax credits as they are unable to survive on their reduced wages.
The protesters made great use of several biblical quotes to demonstrate what they claim is the Salvation Army's hypocrisy, especially Jeremiah 22:13 "Woe to him that useth his neighbour's services without wages" and Luke 10:7 "The labourer is worthy of his hire".
Some time after the small number of photojournalists including myself had left the protest a Major from the Salvation Army met the protesters and expressed shock and surprise to hear that the UK branch of the organisation was using workfare labour in Salvation Army charity shops. Explaining that the International organisation has nothning to do with UK employment practices the Major said the protesters were very welcome to stay on the premises of the International headquarters until closing, but also invited them to go to the Salvation Army UK Headquarters in South London to discuss the matter.
The protesters duly accepted the Major's invitation and went to the UK HQ, whereupon they were set upon by members of staff who demanded the protesters hand over their mobile phones and cameras, physically jostled them, then forcibly prevented any protesters from leaving and simultaneously accusing them of trespass. One protester managed to escape the false imprisonment only to be arrested by police, having been falsely accused of assault by Salvation Army UK staff members - none of whom apparently announced they were security staff, as they are supposed to do if they are in fact security staff.
Soon afterwards the police, having assessed the situation and observing that the protesters were being falsely imprisoned realised that the claims made by the Salvation Army staff were completely false, they de-arrested the protester and ordered the Salvation Army staff release the other protesters, having first explained to the Salvation Army employees that false imprisonment is a criminal act.
Because of the extraordinary behaviour meted out to the protesters today Boycott Workfare groups have called for a day of online action against the Salvation Army UK in response to these events. More details can be found at www.boycottworkfare.org
All photos © 2013 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or blog my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion
Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix
Standard industry rates apply.
If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.
A group of Fixers, concerned by the level of unemployment in Cornwall, are creating a unique ‘top trumps’ campaign to raise the profile of young jobseekers.
Lead Fixer Kate Rogers (19) and her friends are all currently unemployed and all feel embarrassed to be relying on jobseekers allowance benefits to get by.
The group from Liskeard, Cornwall, are concerned that employers are not taking youth unemployment seriously, and do not realise how difficult it is to secure employment.
By producing an eye-catching CV pack with Fixers - including unique ‘top trump’ cards displaying their picture and expertise – the group hope to simplify the recruitment process for employers and show them straight away exactly why they should get the job.
For more info, interviews etc contact communications@fixers.org.uk call 01962810970. Please credit Fixers when using this image.
Vigil as House of Lords debates Welfare Reform Bill: London, 11.01.2012
Activists from the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2KT) and Single Mothers Self-Defence (SMSD) lobbied the House of Lords and held a vigil in Old Palace Yard opposite the Lords' Entrance on 11.01.2012 as the House of Lords gave its last reading and debate of the governement's Welfare Reform Bill and Benefit caps before it passes into law. The campaigners are extremely anxious about this bill which, if passed as is, will see hundreds of thousands of children, the sick and the disabled, plunged into inescapable poverty and homelessness from which many of them will never emerge.
The Welfare Reform Bill introduces Universal Credit to replace existing benefits including income-based Jobseeker's Allowance; income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Income Support; Housing Benefit; Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. The Bill also makes provision for the Personal Independence Payment which will replace the existing Disability Living Allowance for over-16s.
The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust specialises in helping vulnerable debtors to gain justice from unfair systems and campaigns on a wide range of issues surrounding poverty, and the Single Mothers Self-Defence is a network of single mothers campaigning against benefit cuts and policies forcing single mothers on benefits to take on unwaged work.
The protesters were joined by political artist Kaya Mar, who showed his latest painting which portrays Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip on their uppers in a poverty-stricken Britain. The Queen holds two magazines promoting her Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year which will cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds and will lose many more millions of lose work hours to the economy than did the one-day strike on Nov 30th 2011!
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
Thousands of one-on-one opportunities were granted to interested job seekers at the Transportation Industry Jobs Fair at Chicago State University. Recruiters and managers from 27 public and private sector employers participated in an event that attracted more than 10,000 people on August 9, 2011. (Photo Credit: Antonio Dickey)
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
Workfare protest at Salvation Army International HQ - 18.03.2013
On 18th March 2013 a small group of activists from campaign group Boycott Workfare descended on the Salvation Army International HQ and peacefully protested in the entrance foyer against the organisation's use of unpaid coerced labour supplied - under the threat of up to three years' sanctions and complete loss of all benefits - by the DWP.
The protesters note that the Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu said publicly several months ago that Workfare is immoral and should be stopped, and BoycottWorkfare say it is gross hypocrisy that a religious charity claiming to support the oppressed should benefit from coerced and exploited labour, especially when it is proven that the policy of forcing unemployed people to work for nothing directly affects the wages and working hours of the already employed, driving wages down and forcing more people to claim housing benefit and tax credits as they are unable to survive on their reduced wages.
The protesters made great use of several biblical quotes to demonstrate what they claim is the Salvation Army's hypocrisy, especially Jeremiah 22:13 "Woe to him that useth his neighbour's services without wages" and Luke 10:7 "The labourer is worthy of his hire".
Some time after the small number of photojournalists including myself had left the protest a Major from the Salvation Army met the protesters and expressed shock and surprise to hear that the UK branch of the organisation was using workfare labour in Salvation Army charity shops. Explaining that the International organisation has nothning to do with UK employment practices the Major said the protesters were very welcome to stay on the premises of the International headquarters until closing, but also invited them to go to the Salvation Army UK Headquarters in South London to discuss the matter.
The protesters duly accepted the Major's invitation and went to the UK HQ, whereupon they were set upon by members of staff who demanded the protesters hand over their mobile phones and cameras, physically jostled them, then forcibly prevented any protesters from leaving and simultaneously accusing them of trespass. One protester managed to escape the false imprisonment only to be arrested by police, having been falsely accused of assault by Salvation Army UK staff members - none of whom apparently announced they were security staff, as they are supposed to do if they are in fact security staff.
Soon afterwards the police, having assessed the situation and observing that the protesters were being falsely imprisoned realised that the claims made by the Salvation Army staff were completely false, they de-arrested the protester and ordered the Salvation Army staff release the other protesters, having first explained to the Salvation Army employees that false imprisonment is a criminal act.
Because of the extraordinary behaviour meted out to the protesters today Boycott Workfare groups have called for a day of online action against the Salvation Army UK in response to these events. More details can be found at www.boycottworkfare.org
All photos © 2013 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or blog my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion
Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix
Standard industry rates apply.
If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.
Workfare protest at Salvation Army International HQ - 18.03.2013
On 18th March 2013 a small group of activists from campaign group Boycott Workfare descended on the Salvation Army International HQ and peacefully protested in the entrance foyer against the organisation's use of unpaid coerced labour supplied - under the threat of up to three years' sanctions and complete loss of all benefits - by the DWP.
The protesters note that the Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu said publicly several months ago that Workfare is immoral and should be stopped, and BoycottWorkfare say it is gross hypocrisy that a religious charity claiming to support the oppressed should benefit from coerced and exploited labour, especially when it is proven that the policy of forcing unemployed people to work for nothing directly affects the wages and working hours of the already employed, driving wages down and forcing more people to claim housing benefit and tax credits as they are unable to survive on their reduced wages.
The protesters made great use of several biblical quotes to demonstrate what they claim is the Salvation Army's hypocrisy, especially Jeremiah 22:13 "Woe to him that useth his neighbour's services without wages" and Luke 10:7 "The labourer is worthy of his hire".
Some time after the small number of photojournalists including myself had left the protest a Major from the Salvation Army met the protesters and expressed shock and surprise to hear that the UK branch of the organisation was using workfare labour in Salvation Army charity shops. Explaining that the International organisation has nothning to do with UK employment practices the Major said the protesters were very welcome to stay on the premises of the International headquarters until closing, but also invited them to go to the Salvation Army UK Headquarters in South London to discuss the matter.
The protesters duly accepted the Major's invitation and went to the UK HQ, whereupon they were set upon by members of staff who demanded the protesters hand over their mobile phones and cameras, physically jostled them, then forcibly prevented any protesters from leaving and simultaneously accusing them of trespass. One protester managed to escape the false imprisonment only to be arrested by police, having been falsely accused of assault by Salvation Army UK staff members - none of whom apparently announced they were security staff, as they are supposed to do if they are in fact security staff.
Soon afterwards the police, having assessed the situation and observing that the protesters were being falsely imprisoned realised that the claims made by the Salvation Army staff were completely false, they de-arrested the protester and ordered the Salvation Army staff release the other protesters, having first explained to the Salvation Army employees that false imprisonment is a criminal act.
Because of the extraordinary behaviour meted out to the protesters today Boycott Workfare groups have called for a day of online action against the Salvation Army UK in response to these events. More details can be found at www.boycottworkfare.org
All photos © 2013 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or blog my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion
Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix
Standard industry rates apply.
If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.
Top 10 Ways to Rock Your Resumé bit.ly/TfmzBU
Need a best Resume from professional writers? Contact us www.resumewritingservice.biz/
In cooperation with the AMS — Arbeitsmarktservice (Public Employment Service), Ars Electronica will be addressing a paradox in European labor markets that affects virtually every industry: that while jobs are available, the standards and demands of employees have reconfigured and changed. Together, Ars Electronica and the AMS are working on a new protocol of encountering each other and are testing out turning the festival, as a cultural event, into a laboratory for alternative forms of encounter. “About working and providing work” will allow jobseekers and employers to approach and experience each other differently, using the neutral region of the festival.
Photo: Philipp Greindl
Vigil as House of Lords debates Welfare Reform Bill: London, 11.01.2012
Activists from the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2KT) and Single Mothers Self-Defence (SMSD) lobbied the House of Lords and held a vigil in Old Palace Yard opposite the Lords' Entrance on 11.01.2012 as the House of Lords gave its last reading and debate of the governement's Welfare Reform Bill and Benefit caps before it passes into law. The campaigners are extremely anxious about this bill which, if passed as is, will see hundreds of thousands of children, the sick and the disabled, plunged into inescapable poverty and homelessness from which many of them will never emerge.
The Welfare Reform Bill introduces Universal Credit to replace existing benefits including income-based Jobseeker's Allowance; income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Income Support; Housing Benefit; Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. The Bill also makes provision for the Personal Independence Payment which will replace the existing Disability Living Allowance for over-16s.
The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust specialises in helping vulnerable debtors to gain justice from unfair systems and campaigns on a wide range of issues surrounding poverty, and the Single Mothers Self-Defence is a network of single mothers campaigning against benefit cuts and policies forcing single mothers on benefits to take on unwaged work.
The protesters were joined by political artist Kaya Mar, who showed his latest painting which portrays Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip on their uppers in a poverty-stricken Britain. The Queen holds two magazines promoting her Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year which will cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds and will lose many more millions of lose work hours to the economy than did the one-day strike on Nov 30th 2011!
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
Youth Program Manager Shea Kinnahan looks on as Job Corner Youth Advisory Board Member Melvin Gonzalez, a junior at Lake Braddock High School, explains how the board works with staff of the Department of Family Services’ Youth Employment Center.
The workshop took place during at Fairfax County’s Mega Job and Entrepreneur Fair on Saturday, March 26 at the Fairfax Government Center. The event was sponsored by Fairfax County Department of Family Services, the Business Development Assistance Group and SkillSource Group, Inc.
Find out how SkillSource can help you at www.myskillsource.org/home/jobseekers_onestop_fairfax.shtml.
Find our about Fairfax County's Employment and Training Services at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/ss/employtraining.htm.
DPAC & UK Uncut hold ATOS Closing Ceremony - 31.08.2012
As the Grand Finale to a week-long national campaign of protests against French IT company ATOS Origin and its spinoff ATOS Healthcare which carries out the much-criticised Wirk Capability Assessments on behalf of the DWP, which has seen tens of thousands of severely sick and disabled people declared to be "Fit for Work" and thrown off their disability benefits, several hundred activists from DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), WinVisible, Disabled Activists' Network, UK Uncut, Right to Work Campaign, Unite the Union, the GMB Union, Occupy London and the National UNion of Students descended on ATOS' London headquarters to carry out what they had billed as the "ATOS Closing Ceremony" - a reference to ATOS' hugely derided sponsorship of the Paralympic Games which is, say the activists, an act of spectatular cynicism by a corporation which is currently contracted by the Cameron government to the tune of £100 million to conduct the much-feared medical assessments without any reference whatsoever to peoples' medical notes of histories.
For two hours the crowd chanted slogans, listened to oral testimonies from people whose lives have been badly affected by ATOS decisions, heard accounts of people driven into such despair by dealing with ATOS that they have comitted suicide, and also heard many accounts of seriously ill people thrown off their benefits by ATOS who have been forced to look for work - having been declared fit for work - and who have died shortly afterwards. The list of people irreperably harmed by ATOS' computer-driven tick-box assessment which cannot possibly take into account the huge range of physical and mental disabilities seems endless.
Following some dogged Freedom of Information requests by two Daily Mirror journalists earlier this year it is now known that an average of 32 sickness or disability benefit claimnants who have been thrown off their benefits by the DWP following an ATOS zero-point rating and placed in the Work-Related Activity Group or who have been put on Jobseeker's Allowance have died shortly afterwards. In many instances relatives of the deceased have claimed that the stress of being treated in such an inhumane way by ATOS contributed to their deaths.
During the protest at Triton Square the 500-strong crowd were entertained by a street theatre performance which saw a fraudulent "ATOS Miracle Cure" booth set up. The "ATOS Reverend" would lay hands on a disabled person and tell them that "by the power of ATOS you are no longer disabled", and sent them through the ATOS Miracle Cure arch, but sadly once through the arch the disabled people realised they had been tricked and they were still, of course, disabled... but worse was to come, as each disabled person was then confronted by an "ATOS Doctor" who stated that because they were now officially no longer disabled and were fit for work they could now be assigned to do their dream jobs, to which end the phoney doctor handed each person a sheet of paper on which was written "100 meter runner", "Bar Tender", "Mountain Climber" and other completely unsuitable job titles.
At around 2:30pm a section of the crowd took off and headed for Westminster where they picketed outside the Department for Work and Pensions, during which an over-agressive action by the police resulted in a disabled man's shoulder being broken as he was knocked off his wheelchair when police shoved protesters into him.
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application
Media buyers should email me directly or view this story on <a href="http://www.demotix.com/users/pete-riches/profile.
Standard NUJ rates apply.
Fixers Jason, Kate, Ellie and Tyler, from Liskeard, are creating a special 'top trumps' campaign to raise the profile of young jobseekers. Concerned about the level of unemployment in Cornwall, they want employers to take applications from young people more seriously. A film about their Fix was broadcast on ITV West in May 2013. For more info, interviews etc contact communications@fixers.org.uk or call 01962 810970. Please credit Fixers when using this image.
India has amongst the lowest female labor force participation rates in the world. Less than a third of women – 15 years or older – are working or actively looking for a job.
This story is about a girl named Seema. She belongs from Mayurbhanj district and is the first girl to come out from her village to live her dreams. Amid by the cultural, social and parental barriers, she fought with everyone to achieve success and currently working in FIEM – Bhiwandi district (Rajasthan).She has been financially supporting her family and guiding other girls, who now got the strength to see dreams like her. She has become a role model for her village, where she is challenging and creating a change in this stereotype male dominant society.
For more details watch complete video....
For more details please visit at: lnkd.in/eHb7yEr
Facebook: lnkd.in/eXVUiPW
Linked in: lnkd.in/eNeee_2
#supplychain #logistics #supplychainmanagement #jobs #jobhunt #jobseeker #career #careerplacements #careerguide #training #skilling #Seema
#Interview #JobInterview #InterviewTips #InterviewPrep #InterviewAdvice
#supplychain #logistics #training #skilling #job #career #HappyNewYear2020 #careerdevelopment
#resumetips #jobs #career #JobHaiToRaubHai
#StepUpYourGame #GetSafeducated #CareerTips #Resume #CV #CurriculumVitae #JobHunting #InterviewPrep #Interview #VideoResume #NewResume #JobSeeker #CareerOpportunities
#Top10HighestPayingJobs #TopHighestpaidJobs #Top10Technologies #JobHaiToRaubHai #Safejob #Safeducate #Safexpress #Interview #Career #CareerDevelopment #Training #JobsInIndia #India #Delhi #Naukri #ShineJob #MonsterJob #NRC #Indore #Raipur #Lucknow
#Career #Jobs #Industry #Skills #InterviewTalk #Guidance #CareerGuide #Jobseeker #jobseekers #careerassessment #careerinsight #softskills #jobhunting #supplychain #leadershipskills #teamskills
#skill #training #corporatetraining #skilldevelopment #skillindia #career #skilling #skilled #getskilled #skillsforcareer #logistics #supplychainmanagement #careergoals #careeradvice #jobtips #careertips #careerdevelopment #AsliFans #JohnCena #BB13OnVoot
#upskilling #leaders #leadersoftomorrow #mondayqoutes #training #learning #logistics #supplychain #supplychainmanagemen #Logistics #SupplyChain #3D #3DPrinting #Technology #Innovation #Digitalization #Trends #TechnologyTrends
#Upskilling #Skills #Skilling #Leadership #Motivation #Planning #Creativity #Career #JobSkills
#Ramagya
#NewYears2019 #MakeASafeResolution #NewYearResolutions #RajasthanRoyals #PrachiMishra #NewBeginnings #NewOpportunities #NewInnovations #NewResolutions #Top10HighestPayingJobs #TopHighestpaidITJobs #Top10Technologies #JobHaiToRaubHai #Safejob #Safeducate #Safexpress #Interview #Career #CareerDevelopment #Training #JobsInIndia #India
St Alban's Church is located off Windy Nook Road in the Windy Nook area of Gateshead. The parish church was built 1841-1842 by Thomas Liddell and was extended in 1888. The church is a Grade II listed building on the National Heritage List for England.
Windy Nook is an area in Tyne and Wear, England, bordered by Carr Hill to the west, Whitehills Estate and Leam Lane Estate to the east, Felling to the north and Sheriff Hill to the south. It lies on steep, sloping land 2.25 miles (3.62 km) south of Gateshead, 2.75 miles (4.43 km) south of Newcastle upon Tyne and 12 miles (19 km) north of Durham. In 2011, the Windy Nook and Whitehills ward had a population of 9,781. Formerly part of Heworth, it was incorporated into the newly formed Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead on 1 April 1974.
Windy Nook has a long industrial history, with evidence of milling and pottery in the area. The principal industry, however, was stone quarrying, and the initial settlement grew as this industry flourished. By the turn of the 19th century, several quarries operated in Windy Nook and the largest, Kell's Quarry, provided the sandstone and grindstone used to build St Alban's Church, a Grade II listed building and principal landmark in the village, which was consecrated on 25 August 1842.
The decline in industry in the 20th century saw the population fall to pre-industrial levels. Though today an urban suburb, there are no large commercial areas and the new Tesco store is the largest employer. There remains large areas of green space, however, and it is a popular and high-demand place to live. Residents compare favourably with others in the borough in terms of income, employment levels and educational qualifications.
Windy Nook Nature Reserve is a protected wildlife area, as well as one of the largest environmental sculptures in Europe. Mary Elizabeth Wilson, a serial killer, was known as The Merry Widow of Windy Nook. Joseph Hopper, founder of the aged mineworkers scheme, and John Oxberry, a prominent historian, also hailed from the village.
History
The name Windy Nook derives from "the lofty and exposed nature of the situation it occupies". In 1784, Richard Kell began quarrying at Heworth Shore. His business expanded quickly and, by the turn of the 19th century, Kell and his family had established a second quarry at Windy Nook which was known as Kell's Quarry. This, along with a number of pre-existing, smaller quarries, provided work for the early settlers and by 1820 there existed a "modern but populous village". The quarries of Windy Nook became renowned, described as equally important to the more vaunted quarries of Yorkshire and producing sandstone and 'Newcastle grindstone' of sufficient quality that stones from Kell's Quarry were used to build St Alban's Church and other local buildings.
As the quarries prospered, the village continued to grow. In 1834 an account described Windy Nook as "a populous hamlet ... chiefly inhabited by workmen employed in the adjoining quarries. Here are three public houses, one farmstead, a corn-mill and several mechanics". In 1842, a National school was built by subscription, and within six years the building of two more mills and a pottery saw the population increase to around 2,009 inhabitants. The quarries continued to produce high quality grindstone; in 1860 stone from Kell's Quarry was used to build the Exchange Building in Newcastle upon Tyne.
In spite of this industrialisation, residents were still able to enjoy "wildly romantic scenery". Ordnance survey maps of 1862 show that Windy Nook remained isolated from the neighbouring villages at Carr Hill and Sheriff Hill. The principal road, Windy Nook Road, had been established and at the junction between this road and Carr Hill Road, the church of St Alban and the national school are evidenced among a cluster of residential dwellings but there was little else save the quarries which dominated during those formative years. By 1870 there were 430 houses for 2,653 inhabitants which by 1887 had increased again to 3,554.
However, by the turn of the 20th century, the quarries slowly fell into disuse and by the 1960s all of the remaining industrial areas had closed and the quarries infilled, though the sandstone properties at St Alban's Place and Co-Operative Terrace stand as a reminder to Windy Nook's industrial history. The decrease in employment opportunities led to a steady decline in population and although some housing developed along Stone Street and Coldwell Lane, the urban sprawl that enveloped most of the outlying settlements of Gateshead during the early 20th century never reached Windy Nook, so that in 1945 it remained largely unchanged in location and size. Despite some terraced housing being built in at Crossfield Park and Coltsfoot Gardens in the 1970–80s, the character of the suburb today remains suburban; the land is split 50/50 between residential properties and open green space and only 11.3% of the residential properties today are council housing. The result is that Windy Nook is a high-demand area for privately owned and social housing.
Economy
The decline of heavy industry in the 20th century left Windy Nook with no major employer and there was little in terms of economic activity. There is no major commercial area and residents usually travel to neighbouring Felling town centre to shop or use the small shopping area at the junction of Windy Nook Road and Carr Hill Road/Albion Street. However, in November 2011, planning permission was approved for conversion of the Black House Inn at the junction of Carr Hill Road and Coldwell lane into a Tesco Express store. The approval was granted in spite of complaints and concerns as to noise and traffic being raised by local residents. This store is now the largest employer in Windy Nook, employing around 20 staff.
Overall, Windy Nook is wholly outside the lowest 20% of residents in terms of income in Gateshead. The unemployment rate in the Windy Nook and Whitehills Ward measured by those who claim Jobseeker's Allowance is 5%, which is the same as the overall Gateshead average, whilst youth unemployment is 10%. The average income of residents in the ward is £23,000 per annum. Some 4.4% of residents are self-employed, which compares with a 4.5% borough average.
Geography and topography
At latitude 54.938° N and longitude 1.5703° W, Windy Nook lies 2.25 miles (3.62 km) south-east of Gateshead and 255 miles (410 km) from London. It sits on a bed of coal, freestone and sandstone known locally as the "Grindstone Post" and occupies an elevated position with a steep slope running from north to south to a maximum natural height of 160 metres (520 ft) above sea-level. This distinctive, steep topography provides residents with "fantastic" views; especially to the north and in some places panoramic views across the Team Valley in the west and towards the North Sea in the east. Around 50% of the land is green space; a combination of urban green space, natural fields, wildlife corridors and a nature reserve. These combine to improve the quality and feel of the area.
Official documents indicate that the boundaries of Windy Nook are Albion Road in the north, Windy Nook Road to the west, Stone Street and the adjoining streets to the south and the Fiddler's Three public house to the east. Windy Nook was part of County Durham until it was incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead by the Local Government Act 1972. It is now bordered by settlements which are also part of the metropolitan borough. These are Sheriff Hill to the south, Carr Hill to the west, Felling to the north, Whitehills Estate and Leam Lane Estate to the east.
Education
Windy Nook Primary school is at Albion Street and caters for students aged between 3 and 11 years. It is a much larger than average-sized school though the number of students eligible for free school means is below average. The standard of provision is declining; in 2001 the school was named by OFSTED as one of the most successful schools in England but subsequent inspections have seen the school's rating decline so that in the most recent inspection the school was rated as satisfactory overall, with inconsistent levels of attainment and teaching noted since Principal Lucie Forrest was appointed as head.
Windy Nook Primary is the only school in the village. Some children of primary school age attend Colegate Community Primary School, located on the fringe of Windy Nook at Colegate West in neighbouring Leam Lane. This too is a satisfactory school which suffers from inconsistent attainment among pupils. The nearest Roman Catholic school is St Augustine's Primary; a good school at Leam Lane Estate.
Children in Windy Nook achieve better than average results at Key Stages two and three compared to the overall borough average. Approximately 66% of children leave secondary school with 5 or more A*–C grade GCSEs, which is higher than the national and Gateshead averages (59% and 58% respectively), though overall the total number of residents holding those qualifications is 36.5%. Only 17.4% of residents hold 2 or more A-Levels, as compared to local average of 18.4% and a national average of 28.2%.
Culture and religion
Windy Nook has two Grade II listed buildings.
The Church of St Alban was designed by Thomas Liddell, the son of a Tory politician, and built between 1841 and 1842. The completed building cost £880 and was consecrated on 25 August 1842 by the Bishop of Durham in attendance with 36 local clergy. Built in locally quarried sandstone and named for the first martyr of the Anglican Church, St Alban's is a "neat structure in the early English style" with a Welsh slate roof and "satisfactory interior and decoration". The church was extended in 1888 and is today a Grade II listed building. The gates, gate piers and overthrows, also designed by Liddell and built at the same time as the church, are tall sandstone structures with wrought iron adornments. These are also Grade II listed buildings.
In addition, the residential properties at 1–10 East View Terrace were locally listed by Gateshead Council as buildings of special interest in 2004. At the same panel hearing, the committee elected not to list the Ebenezer Chapel, a Methodist chapel at Stone Street. A New Connexion chapel is evidenced in Windy Nook in 1855 though the chapel at Stone Street was opened in 1865; one year later than the "beautiful little Gothic church" opened by the Primitive Methodists at Albion Street at a cost of £340. The New Connexion amalgamated with the Primitive Methodists in 1942 and services were held in Ebenezer until 1963 while the Albion Street chapel hosted Sunday School. By 1976, a new building was erected alongside the old chapel and that new building still stands as the Windy Nook Methodist Church.
Places of interest
There are three venues in Windy Nook. Planning permission was sought on 20 June 2003 to renovate and reopen the near derelict Windy Nook Social Club at Stone Street. Approval was granted and Sutherlands Hotel was opened later that year. Run by Helen Sutherland, today the hotel is a thriving venue which in December 2010 successfully applied for certification allowing marriage and civil partnerships to be performed in the upper 'Tree-House Suite'.
Other venues are the Bay Horse, an older stone building at the corner of East Street and Stone Street, which has a conservatory, catering facilities and large car park. Whilst open for business, the Bay Horse is currently available for long-term lease. The Fiddlers Three public house, located at Albion Street, is another older stone building with modern catering facilities. The Black House Inn, evidenced as the Coal Waggon Inn on ordnance survey maps in 1862 at the junction of Carr Hill Road and Co-operative Terrace, was partially demolished in 2011 to make way for a Tesco Extra store.
'The Windy Nook'
The Windy Nook' is the title of a local landmark created by sculptor Richard Cole at the back of the Whitehills Estate on Whitehill Drive. The sculpture appears at first glance to be an old fortification of interlinked walls and pathways sitting atop Windy Nook Pit Hill; local children refer to the artwork simply as 'the Fortress' In fact, the hill is a former slag heap and the 'ruins' are made from 2,500 tons of granite blocks salvaged from the old Scotswood Bridge. It was unveiled in 1986 during Gateshead Sculpture Week.
Today, the 'Windy Nook' is a popular installation much used for walking and recreation and which is some 180 metres (590 ft) in height and covers 5,500 square metres (59,000 sq ft) in area. It remains one of the largest environmental sculptures in Europe. As it has matured it has become home to various plant- and animal life and is now considered an ordinary part of the landscape.
Windy Nook Nature Reserve
Windy Nook Nature Park was opened in 1981 and is at the north west corner of Windy Nook. It is a collaborative enterprise between local conservation volunteers and Gateshead Council, seeking to turn two hectares of unattractive wasteland into an urban nature park. Many of the trees were planted by local school children and today the reserve is a large open space offering the same panoramic views as most other parts of the area, with acid-heath grassland, scrub woodland and a small spring-fed pond. The reserve is also a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI).[80] In 2007, Gateshead Council invested £100,000 into the reserve from their 'Safer, Stronger Communities Fund' to make improvements to an area which had become "blighted by misuse". The money led to the removal of a BMX track within the reserve, the installation of an extensive footpath network, improved access points and gating and the planting of more trees. Woodland thinning has also been undertaken.
Recent budget cuts by Gateshead Council have seen the local authority transfer the management of the park to the community, despite a local petition raised in protest. The reserve remains popular with residents; in May 2012 dozens of volunteers cleared rubbish and engaged in a 'Windy Nook Wildlife Festival' with face-painting and other traditional activities. Local police continue to make 'targeted patrols' of the reserve to maintain the downward trend of anti-social behaviour in the area. In November 2012 a 'green gym' was opened at the reserve. This saw fitness equipment installed in clusters of three and four machines which is available for use by the public free of charge. This is one of only two such outdoor public gyms in Gateshead, the other being opened simultaneously at Saltwell Park.
Notable residents
oseph Hopper was a local councillor and Methodist preacher who lived in Windy Nook and was the creator of the 'aged mineworkers home scheme' in 1898 which provided housing for miners who had retired and were no longer eligible for tenure by dint of their employment. The organisation he created, the Durham Aged Mineworkers Homes Association, is today a registered charity which owns around 1,500 properties and had a turnover in 2012 of over six million pounds. A celebration of Hopper's work was produced after his death by John Oxberry, who was himself born in Windy Nook, in 1924. Oxberry, born in 1857, was a renowned local historian who traveled to New Zealand but returned to publish various texts, including Windy Nook Village; its inhabitants and their Co-operative store, and served a variety of roles on Gateshead Council with sufficient distinction that he was made a Freeman of Gateshead in 1937. Oxberry died three years later.
Arguably the most notable resident, however, is Mary Elizabeth Wilson; a serial killer who achieved worldwide notoriety as the "Merry Widow of Windy Nook". Wilson was born in Hebburn but lived with her first husband John Knowles, along with her lover, John Russell in the same house at Windy Nook for 43 years. Knowles died in 1955 and she married Russell five months later. He died two years later and both were attributed to natural causes. Wilson remarried again but her third marriage, to Oliver Leonard, lasted just twelve days and he died leaving £50 to his wife in his will. A short time later, Wilson married for a fourth time to Ernest Wilson. At her wedding reception, Wilson joked to a guest that the sandwiches left over could be saved for the funeral. When Ernest died soon after, Wilson joked with the funeral director that she should be offered a trade discount for all of the trade she passed his way. Local residents heard of these comment and began speculating as to the spate of deaths, so that Police eventually exhumed Oliver Leonard and Ernest Wilson in 1958 and found traces of phosphorus caused by rat poison. Despite claiming that sexual stimulation pills were the source of the phosphorus, Wilson was convicted of both murders at Leeds in 1958 and sentenced to hang at Durham; the last woman to be so sentenced. Due to her age, her execution was commuted to a life sentence, and she died in Holloway prison in 1962. A later exhumation of her first two husbands also resulted in phosphorus being found, but Wilson died before she could be tried again.
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. -- A "Hiring Our Heroes" job fair was held at the installation, Dec. 6, 2012. The job fair linking job seekers to employers was open to veterans, active duty military members, guard and reserve members and military spouses. (Pennsylvania National Guard photo by Tom Cherry/Released)
Thousand careers is the one of the prime Online Job Recruitment Agency in Bangladesh.
Our main target is to make it easier for the companies to recruit the right person who is capable to fulfill their need. We also help the applicants to get their desired jobs by helping them write a professional CV. We contain a significant number of job applicants CV’s thus offering them an opportunity to apply for the job they were designed for!
More than 1000+ Job seekers are visiting our website daily and the number is increasing every passing day. Thousand careers is the new rising platform for job seekers and recruiters, also offering the latest in’s and out’s of the Job market providing advice to both employers and job seekers.
For Employers we offer: "Hiring Managers, Find your Ideal Candidate"
To secure the right candidate you need a strategic hiring solution that seamlessly combines expert knowledge, cutting edge technology and world class customer service. That’s us.
As leading innovators in online recruitment, we consistently outperform traditional recruitment agencies. We work in partnership with you, integrating our proven methods into your existing in-house recruitment process, saving you time and money.
"Jobseekers, Start your Search"
You’re looking for a fresh challenge, but with so many options to trawl through how do you find the right one? Let us lead the way. And once you’ve found the one we make applications quick and simple, keeping you updated at every stage.
We’re not a recruitment agency which only specialises in a few areas – we work with employers across all sectors ensuring you find the right role for you. New opportunities arise every day. What are you waiting for?
In cooperation with the AMS — Arbeitsmarktservice (Public Employment Service), Ars Electronica will be addressing a paradox in European labor markets that affects virtually every industry: that while jobs are available, the standards and demands of employees have reconfigured and changed. Together, Ars Electronica and the AMS are working on a new protocol of encountering each other and are testing out turning the festival, as a cultural event, into a laboratory for alternative forms of encounter. “About working and providing work” will allow jobseekers and employers to approach and experience each other differently, using the neutral region of the festival.
Photo: Philipp Greindl
Full size version: www.spellingmistakescostlives.com/comicstrips/unemployed_...
Available as a print: www.etsy.com/uk/listing/156252231/unemployed-pets
By Darren Cullen
In cooperation with the AMS — Arbeitsmarktservice (Public Employment Service), Ars Electronica will be addressing a paradox in European labor markets that affects virtually every industry: that while jobs are available, the standards and demands of employees have reconfigured and changed. Together, Ars Electronica and the AMS are working on a new protocol of encountering each other and are testing out turning the festival, as a cultural event, into a laboratory for alternative forms of encounter. “About working and providing work” will allow jobseekers and employers to approach and experience each other differently, using the neutral region of the festival.
Photo: Philipp Greindl
Viking Overlord of Whirlpool forums. The global econony is so Covid-deflated that even Jesus Christ himself has had to apply for Newstart/Jobseeker payments through Centrelink.
Vigil as House of Lords debates Welfare Reform Bill: London, 11.01.2012
Activists from the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2KT) and Single Mothers Self-Defence (SMSD) lobbied the House of Lords and held a vigil in Old Palace Yard opposite the Lords' Entrance on 11.01.2012 as the House of Lords gave its last reading and debate of the governement's Welfare Reform Bill and Benefit caps before it passes into law. The campaigners are extremely anxious about this bill which, if passed as is, will see hundreds of thousands of children, the sick and the disabled, plunged into inescapable poverty and homelessness from which many of them will never emerge.
The Welfare Reform Bill introduces Universal Credit to replace existing benefits including income-based Jobseeker's Allowance; income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Income Support; Housing Benefit; Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. The Bill also makes provision for the Personal Independence Payment which will replace the existing Disability Living Allowance for over-16s.
The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust specialises in helping vulnerable debtors to gain justice from unfair systems and campaigns on a wide range of issues surrounding poverty, and the Single Mothers Self-Defence is a network of single mothers campaigning against benefit cuts and policies forcing single mothers on benefits to take on unwaged work.
The protesters were joined by political artist Kaya Mar, who showed his latest painting which portrays Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip on their uppers in a poverty-stricken Britain. The Queen holds two magazines promoting her Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year which will cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds and will lose many more millions of lose work hours to the economy than did the one-day strike on Nov 30th 2011!
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
We were very happy to find out that two of the ladies in the photo now have jobs. More information can be found by following the link - Work Clubs
In cooperation with the AMS — Arbeitsmarktservice (Public Employment Service), Ars Electronica will be addressing a paradox in European labor markets that affects virtually every industry: that while jobs are available, the standards and demands of employees have reconfigured and changed. Together, Ars Electronica and the AMS are working on a new protocol of encountering each other and are testing out turning the festival, as a cultural event, into a laboratory for alternative forms of encounter. “About working and providing work” will allow jobseekers and employers to approach and experience each other differently, using the neutral region of the festival.
Photo: Philipp Greindl
Interregional job fair with German, French and Luxemburgish enterprises and institutions. More than 3000 job offers. Conferences for jobseekers every hour in the job fair foyer.
See the catalogue on www.jobmesse-sb.de or www.moovijob.com/saarbruecken
Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation; Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training; and guests, launch the latest Labour Market Outlook.
B.C.’s latest Labour Market Outlook (LMO) forecasts more than one million job openings into the next decade, creating opportunities for students and jobseekers to develop their skills and find rewarding jobs of the future.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/26214
Workfare protest at Salvation Army International HQ - 18.03.2013
On 18th March 2013 a small group of activists from campaign group Boycott Workfare descended on the Salvation Army International HQ and peacefully protested in the entrance foyer against the organisation's use of unpaid coerced labour supplied - under the threat of up to three years' sanctions and complete loss of all benefits - by the DWP.
The protesters note that the Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu said publicly several months ago that Workfare is immoral and should be stopped, and BoycottWorkfare say it is gross hypocrisy that a religious charity claiming to support the oppressed should benefit from coerced and exploited labour, especially when it is proven that the policy of forcing unemployed people to work for nothing directly affects the wages and working hours of the already employed, driving wages down and forcing more people to claim housing benefit and tax credits as they are unable to survive on their reduced wages.
The protesters made great use of several biblical quotes to demonstrate what they claim is the Salvation Army's hypocrisy, especially Jeremiah 22:13 "Woe to him that useth his neighbour's services without wages" and Luke 10:7 "The labourer is worthy of his hire".
Some time after the small number of photojournalists including myself had left the protest a Major from the Salvation Army met the protesters and expressed shock and surprise to hear that the UK branch of the organisation was using workfare labour in Salvation Army charity shops. Explaining that the International organisation has nothning to do with UK employment practices the Major said the protesters were very welcome to stay on the premises of the International headquarters until closing, but also invited them to go to the Salvation Army UK Headquarters in South London to discuss the matter.
The protesters duly accepted the Major's invitation and went to the UK HQ, whereupon they were set upon by members of staff who demanded the protesters hand over their mobile phones and cameras, physically jostled them, then forcibly prevented any protesters from leaving and simultaneously accusing them of trespass. One protester managed to escape the false imprisonment only to be arrested by police, having been falsely accused of assault by Salvation Army UK staff members - none of whom apparently announced they were security staff, as they are supposed to do if they are in fact security staff.
Soon afterwards the police, having assessed the situation and observing that the protesters were being falsely imprisoned realised that the claims made by the Salvation Army staff were completely false, they de-arrested the protester and ordered the Salvation Army staff release the other protesters, having first explained to the Salvation Army employees that false imprisonment is a criminal act.
Because of the extraordinary behaviour meted out to the protesters today Boycott Workfare groups have called for a day of online action against the Salvation Army UK in response to these events. More details can be found at www.boycottworkfare.org
All photos © 2013 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or blog my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion
Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix
Standard industry rates apply.
If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.
L-R Cllr Peter Bilson, deputy leader of Wolverhampton City Council. Cllr Kath Hartley, Centro and John Batchelor from National Express.
Fast, new bus link to i54 business park
Jobseekers and workers at i54 South Staffordshire are set for a major boost this weekend (Sunday January 26) with the launch of faster and more convenient bus services to the business park.
The new circular 25A and 25C services will slash the existing journey time between Wolverhampton city centre and i54 from 38 minutes to just 18.
They will also provide bus links from The Scotlands, Wednesfield, Willenhall, Bilston and Goldthorn Park to the business park where hundreds of jobs are being created.
The new services are the result of a partnership deal between transport authority Centro, bus operator National Express West Midlands and the i54 transport steering group.
Centro’s vice chair, Cllr Kath Hartley, said: “There will be significant job opportunities coming on stream at i54 but it’s vital we have quick, convenient and affordable public transport links to the business park so that everyone has a chance to fill those jobs.
“I believe the new services we are putting in place with National Express West Midlands and the steering group will provide exactly what is needed.”
The new 25A (anti-clockwise) and 25C (clockwise) will replace the existing 25, 25a and 26. There will be no change to the evening and Sunday 26A service from Wolverhampton to Stowlawn.
They will operate every 30 minutes during the day-time Monday to Saturday and every hour in the evenings and on Sundays. The timetables have also been designed to co-ordinate with i54 shift-work patterns where ever possible.
Vigil as House of Lords debates Welfare Reform Bill: London, 11.01.2012
Activists from the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2KT) and Single Mothers Self-Defence (SMSD) lobbied the House of Lords and held a vigil in Old Palace Yard opposite the Lords' Entrance on 11.01.2012 as the House of Lords gave its last reading and debate of the governement's Welfare Reform Bill and Benefit caps before it passes into law. The campaigners are extremely anxious about this bill which, if passed as is, will see hundreds of thousands of children, the sick and the disabled, plunged into inescapable poverty and homelessness from which many of them will never emerge.
The Welfare Reform Bill introduces Universal Credit to replace existing benefits including income-based Jobseeker's Allowance; income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Income Support; Housing Benefit; Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. The Bill also makes provision for the Personal Independence Payment which will replace the existing Disability Living Allowance for over-16s.
The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust specialises in helping vulnerable debtors to gain justice from unfair systems and campaigns on a wide range of issues surrounding poverty, and the Single Mothers Self-Defence is a network of single mothers campaigning against benefit cuts and policies forcing single mothers on benefits to take on unwaged work.
The protesters were joined by political artist Kaya Mar, who showed his latest painting which portrays Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip on their uppers in a poverty-stricken Britain. The Queen holds two magazines promoting her Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year which will cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds and will lose many more millions of lose work hours to the economy than did the one-day strike on Nov 30th 2011!
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.
Workfare protest at Salvation Army International HQ - 18.03.2013
On 18th March 2013 a small group of activists from campaign group Boycott Workfare descended on the Salvation Army International HQ and peacefully protested in the entrance foyer against the organisation's use of unpaid coerced labour supplied - under the threat of up to three years' sanctions and complete loss of all benefits - by the DWP.
The protesters note that the Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu said publicly several months ago that Workfare is immoral and should be stopped, and BoycottWorkfare say it is gross hypocrisy that a religious charity claiming to support the oppressed should benefit from coerced and exploited labour, especially when it is proven that the policy of forcing unemployed people to work for nothing directly affects the wages and working hours of the already employed, driving wages down and forcing more people to claim housing benefit and tax credits as they are unable to survive on their reduced wages.
The protesters made great use of several biblical quotes to demonstrate what they claim is the Salvation Army's hypocrisy, especially Jeremiah 22:13 "Woe to him that useth his neighbour's services without wages" and Luke 10:7 "The labourer is worthy of his hire".
Some time after the small number of photojournalists including myself had left the protest a Major from the Salvation Army met the protesters and expressed shock and surprise to hear that the UK branch of the organisation was using workfare labour in Salvation Army charity shops. Explaining that the International organisation has nothning to do with UK employment practices the Major said the protesters were very welcome to stay on the premises of the International headquarters until closing, but also invited them to go to the Salvation Army UK Headquarters in South London to discuss the matter.
The protesters duly accepted the Major's invitation and went to the UK HQ, whereupon they were set upon by members of staff who demanded the protesters hand over their mobile phones and cameras, physically jostled them, then forcibly prevented any protesters from leaving and simultaneously accusing them of trespass. One protester managed to escape the false imprisonment only to be arrested by police, having been falsely accused of assault by Salvation Army UK staff members - none of whom apparently announced they were security staff, as they are supposed to do if they are in fact security staff.
Soon afterwards the police, having assessed the situation and observing that the protesters were being falsely imprisoned realised that the claims made by the Salvation Army staff were completely false, they de-arrested the protester and ordered the Salvation Army staff release the other protesters, having first explained to the Salvation Army employees that false imprisonment is a criminal act.
Because of the extraordinary behaviour meted out to the protesters today Boycott Workfare groups have called for a day of online action against the Salvation Army UK in response to these events. More details can be found at www.boycottworkfare.org
All photos © 2013 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter, re-transmit or blog my images without my written permission. I remain at all times the copyright owner of this image.
Hi-Res, un-watermarked versions of these files are available on application solely at my discretion
Media buyers and publications can access this story on Demotix
Standard industry rates apply.
If you want to use any image found in my Flickr Photostream, please Email me directly.
23/04/2013
REPRO FREE
MAXWELLS DUBLIN
PIC SHOWS: Presenter Ray D’Arcy and and Dessie Fitzgerald
It's move over Ray D'Arcy as Dessie Fitzgerald, who is supported by St. John of God Carmona Services, Dun Laoghaire, shows off his presenting skills during the sixth annual Job Shadow Day, taking place today Wednesday 24th April. The highlight of IASE National Supported Employment Week, Job Shadow Day sees hundreds of individuals with disabilities throughout Ireland take the opportunity to shadow a workplace mentor as he or she goes through a normal working day. Hundreds of employers throughout Ireland are involved to promote equal employment opportunities for people with disability through supported employment.
PIC: MAXWELLS NO FEE
PRESS RELEASE
Job Shadow Day opens up hundreds of workplaces throughout the country in unique opportunity
National Supported Employment Week to raise profile of employment for people with disabilities
Ireland, Tuesday April 23rd 2013: Presenter Ray D’Arcy and celebrity chef Neven Maguire officially marked the sixth annual Job Shadow Day, taking place today Wednesday 24th, together with the Irish Association for Supported Employment (IASE). The highlight of IASE National Supported Employment Week, Job Shadow Day sees hundreds of individuals with disabilities throughout Ireland take the opportunity to shadow a workplace mentor as he or she goes through a normal working day. Hundreds of employers throughout Ireland are involved.
A number of high profile individuals are taking part in Job Shadow Day, joining Ray D’Arcy and Neven Maguire to include: An Taoiseach Enda Kenny; Minister Joan Burton; RTÉ’s Derek Mooney; Kildare senior football manager Kieran Mc Geeney; Minister Leo Varadker; presenter and journalist Brendan O’Connor; Prime Time’s Richard Crowley; Senator David Norris and adventurer Mark Pollock.
Job Shadow Day is designed to give people with disabilities a unique opportunity to get a close up look at the world of work for one day or one week in April each year to discover and learn about the skills and education required to compete and succeed in the work place.
IASE Chairperson Teresa Mallon commented: “The response from employers across the country, both private and public sector, has once again been absolutely fantastic. What we are seeing here today is a huge number of businesses and people with disabilities coming together to send out a really clear message that they want an inclusive society where everyone has the right to work, to express their ability and to contribute and take part fully in Irish society.”
IrishJobs.ie, Ireland’s number one recruitment website, is once again one of the main sponsors of National Supported Employment Week and the Job Shadow initiative.
Jane Lorigan, CEO Europe of Saongroup.com and MD of IrishJobs.ie said: “We are delighted to be participating in Job Shadow Day again this year. Here at IrishJobs.ie, we believe in an accessible and inclusive workplace. We hope that by participating in initiatives like Job Shadow Day, employers will have the opportunity to see the valuable contribution that an individual with a disability can make to an organization and the positive impact it can have on everyone involved.”
During IASE National Supported Employment Week (22nd to 28th April), Supported Employment organisations, jobseekers and employers showcase employment for people with disabilities with a variety of themed events, seminars and a national publicity campaign raising awareness of employment for people with disabilities.
This June, Ireland is set to become a world leader in the advancement of supporting people with disabilities and other marginalized groups into jobs when the IASE hosts a major international conference on disability and employment.
The European Union of Supported Employment conference, sponsored by the Rehab Group, will see many of the world’s leading experts in this field and more than 500 delegates from 30 countries, across five continents, meet for three days in Croke Park, Dublin.
Please visit www.iase.ie for more information.
Media Contact:
Jamie Good/Karina Dooley
PR Wise
Mob: 087 940 8028/086 2012856
National Supported Employment Week
IASE National Supported Employment Week will take place in Ireland from the 22nd to the 28th of April 2013. Supported Employment organisations, jobseekers and employers will showcase employment for people with disabilities through a variety of themed events, seminars and a national publicity campaign raising awareness of employment for people with disabilities.
IASE Job Shadow Day
On Wednesday 25th April 2012, hundreds of individuals with disabilities throughout Ireland will be afforded a unique opportunity to shadow a workplace mentor as he or she goes through a normal working day at hundreds of employment sites/companies throughout Ireland
Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation; Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training; and guests, launch the latest Labour Market Outlook.
B.C.’s latest Labour Market Outlook (LMO) forecasts more than one million job openings into the next decade, creating opportunities for students and jobseekers to develop their skills and find rewarding jobs of the future.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/26214
Seng Sannisa (left) is a sales representative at a telecom company in Svay Rieng, Cambodia. He found the job with the help from the local job center. He believes corporate working experience will help him achieve his goal to become an entrepreneur. ©ILO/Wei Xiangnan
The ILO/China South South cooperation project helped build capacity of employment officials in Cambodia and Lao PDR for them to provide better service delivery for the public.
Related video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRQ7C03Cjyk&list=PL2D54FCE4F8...
More information about ILO/China south south cooperation project: www.ilo.org/asia/projects/WCMS_235034/lang--en/index.htm
Related feature story: www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/features/WCMS_5...
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO License. To view a copy of this license, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/deed.en_US.
L-R Andrew Christie, WSP, Cllr Peter Bilson, deputy leader of Wolverhampton City Council. Cllr Kath Hartley, Centro, John Batchelor from National Express and Kerry McManus, Eurofin.
Fast, new bus link to i54 business park
Jobseekers and workers at i54 South Staffordshire are set for a major boost this weekend (Sunday January 26) with the launch of faster and more convenient bus services to the business park.
The new circular 25A and 25C services will slash the existing journey time between Wolverhampton city centre and i54 from 38 minutes to just 18.
They will also provide bus links from The Scotlands, Wednesfield, Willenhall, Bilston and Goldthorn Park to the business park where hundreds of jobs are being created.
The new services are the result of a partnership deal between transport authority Centro, bus operator National Express West Midlands and the i54 transport steering group.
Centro’s vice chair, Cllr Kath Hartley, said: “There will be significant job opportunities coming on stream at i54 but it’s vital we have quick, convenient and affordable public transport links to the business park so that everyone has a chance to fill those jobs.
“I believe the new services we are putting in place with National Express West Midlands and the steering group will provide exactly what is needed.”
The new 25A (anti-clockwise) and 25C (clockwise) will replace the existing 25, 25a and 26. There will be no change to the evening and Sunday 26A service from Wolverhampton to Stowlawn.
They will operate every 30 minutes during the day-time Monday to Saturday and every hour in the evenings and on Sundays. The timetables have also been designed to co-ordinate with i54 shift-work patterns where ever possible.
Vigil as House of Lords debates Welfare Reform Bill: London, 11.01.2012
Activists from the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust (Z2KT) and Single Mothers Self-Defence (SMSD) lobbied the House of Lords and held a vigil in Old Palace Yard opposite the Lords' Entrance on 11.01.2012 as the House of Lords gave its last reading and debate of the governement's Welfare Reform Bill and Benefit caps before it passes into law. The campaigners are extremely anxious about this bill which, if passed as is, will see hundreds of thousands of children, the sick and the disabled, plunged into inescapable poverty and homelessness from which many of them will never emerge.
The Welfare Reform Bill introduces Universal Credit to replace existing benefits including income-based Jobseeker's Allowance; income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Income Support; Housing Benefit; Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. The Bill also makes provision for the Personal Independence Payment which will replace the existing Disability Living Allowance for over-16s.
The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust specialises in helping vulnerable debtors to gain justice from unfair systems and campaigns on a wide range of issues surrounding poverty, and the Single Mothers Self-Defence is a network of single mothers campaigning against benefit cuts and policies forcing single mothers on benefits to take on unwaged work.
The protesters were joined by political artist Kaya Mar, who showed his latest painting which portrays Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip on their uppers in a poverty-stricken Britain. The Queen holds two magazines promoting her Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year which will cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds and will lose many more millions of lose work hours to the economy than did the one-day strike on Nov 30th 2011!
All photos © 2012 Pete Riches
Do not reproduce, alter or reblog my images without my written permission.
Hi-Res versions of these files are available for license on application. NUJ rates apply.