Private companies are benefiting from people who are made to work unpaid on threat of loss of benefits

This Freedom of Information response for Kent, Surrey and Sussex has many recognisable brands including: Asda, Wilkinsons, Poundstretcher, Pizza Hut, Savers, Poundland, 99p stores, and more. Worryingly, public sector jobs at Medway Council are also being filled with workfare placements.

This Freedom of Information response for the Thames Valley shows that many charities are using mandatory work placements, despite the threat of destitution for claimants who do not comply. It is also concerning that Slough Library is using workfare staff.

Find out what is going on in your area.

We also know of the following organisations taking workfare:

• Holland & Barrett who have cut down on overtime for staff because workfare can fill the gaps
• Tesco
• HMV – one manager described their workfare worker as “our free person”
• Matalan – “we are always grateful of the extra help, especially during busy times”
• Newham Council
• Haringey Council – Who have decimated their parks staff and intend to “bridge the gap” with Community Payback and workfare placements
• The Royal Mail
• Bookers Wholesale
• Sainsbury’s
• Argos
• Maplin
• TK Maxx
• Primark
• Boots
• McDonald’s
• Burger King
• Arcadia group of clothes stores
• Finsbury Park Business Forum – Wardens are deployed around stations in North London. In 2010, 800 paid station staff were made redundant across the Underground.
• Superdrug

Work Programme contractors published:

The Work Programme places claimants in the hand of private “welfare to work” companies for two years. They have been given the power to “tailor” what is mandatory for the claimant, which may be sitting in their offices for three days a week on “jobsearch” or long term unpaid work placements.

This DWP press release lists the Work Programme contractors for each area of the UK. Download a full list of the private, public and voluntary sector organisations involved in delivering the Work Programme.

The list does not include all the work places where mandatory work placements will take place. If you know of any of these, please get in touch (letting us know the source of your information) so we can publish it here.

This Freedom of Information response shows the organisations delivering Mandatory Work Activity in the North West.

Examples from the Flexible New Deal (we already know that several of these are continuing since Summer 2011):

This comprehensive list of placements in Islington includes the local hospital, charities, Asda and Sainsburys. Even A4E, the private company organising the the mandatory placements, benefited from forced labour!

Poundland is profiting from claimants being forced to work for their benefits.

The following voluntary organisations are also using claimants’ forced labour:

• Age Concern
• Barnados
• British Heart Foundation
• Cancer Research
• Capability Scotland
• Gorgie City Farm
• Marie Curie
• PDSA
• Saffron Acres Project
• Salvation Army
• Shelter

See the Unemployed Movement’s website for a further list of private sector organisations and charities benefiting from workfare.

We also have reports of the following private companies and public sector bodies using forced workfare labour:

• Whittington Hospital – porters and receptionists
• TESCO’s (even for nightshift work)
• Primark
• Station stewards at Finsbury Park station

Please let us know if you know of any other organisations that are using unemployed people in this way.

There’s a great film about the horrible impact of workfare in the US: A Day’s Work, A Day’s Pay. Have a look at the trailer below and get in touch if you’d like to book a film showing. The man featured in this trailer has since died since he was unable to afford medicare for his liver condition.