Workfare and the compulsory education will have two effects. It will reduce the numbers officially unemployed, giving the impression that things are getting better. It will also mean workers in permanent full-time jobs being replaced by people on Workfare, just like what has already happened with some SES schemes. Since 1984 the number of permanent staff in local authorities has fallen by 6,000. Some 3,000 people on FAS schemes are working for local authorities, doing mainly labouring jobs.
Some local authorities have almost no labourers left on their permanent payroll.
With Workfare the government have another tool to attack present jobs and replace them with ones that have no security, sick-leave or maternity leave. Scheme 'allowances' will replace trade union rates of pay. What makes the Jobs Forum and the PESP most sickening is the degree of support that they get from the so-called opposition in the country. The PESP is supported by the unions. It was promoted by members of the pre-split Workers Party in their jobs as union officials.