Someone sent me this link this morning. Probably thought it would annoy the heck out of me.
It did, but perhaps not quite for the reasons they expected :)
Article 4, Section 2 of the Human Rights Act, which states: ‘No one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour' was implemented to prevent slavery.
That covers a wide field - whether being forced by unlicensed gang masters to work for starvation food levels in squalid accommodation, or being a nanny or house keeper working in service in the same conditions, often under violence or the threat of violence, through to forced prostitution.
The example in the link is a misuse of the Act. I can't see anything wrong with keeping in the habit of working. I don't care what the job is. It's a job, paid or not. Two weeks? It's a drop in the ocean. If the young lady wants tough, she should try keeping to the very high standards of Mc Donald's. It's called a work ethic. One does what one does to eat and pay for the basics.
My point is that if you should do what you have to do to maintain an income if you are physically able. State benefits are a short term cushion, not a 'right'. There's no room for intellectual snobbery.
4 comments:
I've just been reading it! my son (who does not have a degree, but just old fashioned common sense) worked at Poundland as a christmas temp two years ago, it was a paid job, it didn't lead to a full time job but he was just happy to have some money in his pocket that he had worked for. Previous jobs he has had have included McDonalds as well!
Josie x
Hi Wheelie - interesting debating point as always and I think the wording of the Act is certainly open to interpretation. The HRA was never intended for the UK when it was written; this was an Act intended to stop countries in Europe from falling into the same trap created by the Nazis following WW2.
X
With you on that Josie.
To be honest, I think the young lady is suffering from a little intellectual snobbery.
We'd all like to be in a manner which we would like to become accustomed to :)
I mentioned McD's on purpose because of the very strict and very high standards they hold their staff to, and because they offer their staff the opportunity to work towards an internationally recognised Degree while employed by them.
Quite right that every penny counts.
RLS - Quite right. If I may be blunt, an ex-mate of mine use to say "bullshit baffles brains". He was wrong, but I can understand where he coming from.
Messing around with the HRA, or anything beyond it's intended purpose is little more than intellectual masturbation.
Post a Comment