Abolish mutual obligations
Morrison has reintroduced mutual obligations during a pandemic and a recession.
With 2.3 million unemployed people and 13 jobseekers to every job.1,2 Morrison is forcing unemployed people to search for jobs that don't exist. It's a dangerous system – forcing people to put their physical and mental health at risk to meet onerous requirements, and stretching the resources of small businesses who are forced to manage thousands of applications.
With 2.3 million unemployed people and 13 jobseekers to every job.1,2 Morrison is forcing unemployed people to search for jobs that don't exist. It's a dangerous system – forcing people to put their physical and mental health at risk to meet onerous requirements, and stretching the resources of small businesses who are forced to manage thousands of applications.
Instead of these harmful mutual obligations, we need public investment in meaningful, safe, and decently-paid jobs.
And until Morrison commits to investing in jobs, we should not be placing people's safety in jeopardy by forcing people to do pointless mutual obligations.
Sign the petition, demand mutual obligations be abolished.
And until Morrison commits to investing in jobs, we should not be placing people's safety in jeopardy by forcing people to do pointless mutual obligations.
Sign the petition, demand mutual obligations be abolished.
Mutual obligations are requirements for job seekers set by their employment agency. They're allegedly designed to encourage unemployed people to look for work – but the truth is much more sinister.
The reality is, mutual obligations force job seekers to look for work that isn't there. It encourages applying for jobs at businesses with no openings, making them deal with floods of applications. And if an unemployed person doesn't, they are punished with a stop to their income support payments – risking starvation and homelessness.
Because these employment agencies are privately owned, it's in their interests to maintain this system. This can involve pressuring job seekers to travel to centres when it's unsafe to do so or too expensive to afford, put up with humiliating Work for the Dole employment, and be misled by dodgy agents.
Mutual obligations benefit no one but employment agencies that receive handouts for every unemployed person that gets forced to engage with them.
The reality is, mutual obligations force job seekers to look for work that isn't there. It encourages applying for jobs at businesses with no openings, making them deal with floods of applications. And if an unemployed person doesn't, they are punished with a stop to their income support payments – risking starvation and homelessness.
Because these employment agencies are privately owned, it's in their interests to maintain this system. This can involve pressuring job seekers to travel to centres when it's unsafe to do so or too expensive to afford, put up with humiliating Work for the Dole employment, and be misled by dodgy agents.
Mutual obligations benefit no one but employment agencies that receive handouts for every unemployed person that gets forced to engage with them.
[1] Australia's unemployment rate: State virus border closures hurting jobs, news.com.au, 24 August 2020.
[2] Labor demands coronavirus supports remain as figures show 13 jobseekers per vacancy, The Guardian, 12 July 2020.
SIGN THE PETITION
Prime Minister Morrison,
Abolish mutual obligations, focus on creating good, public, local jobs.
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