Paul Murphy criticises Job Path 2 outsourcing, backs Offaly strike
Paul Murphy criticised the government's approach to local employment services, arguing it prioritises private profit over helping people into decent jobs. He warned that a new model, described as Job Path 2, would incentivise companies rather than deliver comprehensive support and welcomed planned strike action by affected workers.
Main criticism
He said the government's approach to local employment services is purely ideological - focused on whether programmes generate profit for private companies rather than on providing a public service to assist people into decent work.
Cost and incentives
He cited the estimated cost of the original Job Path as 11,000 euros per successful participant and argued the model of incentivisation rewards providers rather than ensuring every possible support for jobseekers.
Companies flagged
He named SeaTec and Tourist Nua as examples of companies that, he said, would make massive profit from the public under outsourced employment services.
Offaly ballot and planned strike
He welcomed a ballot by Offaly local employment services workers, who face job losses and were prepared to go on strike on the 6th and 7th of December.
Call for trade union mobilisation
He urged the trade union movement to mobilise solidarity to protect the jobs, warning that outsourcing these services would lead to further privatization of social welfare and social protection services.
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Thanks. Often the government in here accuses us in People Before Profit and Solidarity as being very ideological, but how else can you describe the government's approach to local employment services except as purely ideological? The basic approach is what's the point of doing anything if it doesn't create a profit for some private company? Whereas the essence of the work done by local employment services, those who work there, job clubs, etc., is to provide a service for people, to assist people getting into decent jobs, and it's how most people would perceive what social protection should be there for, not there for the point of view of profits. What is being prepared here is Job Path 2, and the estimated cost of Job Path was 11,000 euros per successful participant. You have a model of incentivisation, not for people to end up with the best possible jobs, to be given every possible support they have, but instead a model for companies like SeaTec and Tourist Nua to make massive profit from the public. People power and workers power can defeat these attacks. I welcome the ballot by Offaly, local employment services workers, who are due to lose their jobs, prepared to go on strike on the 6th and 7th of December. We need to build solidarity here, because the trade union movement should mobilise to protect the jobs. If they can outsource these, they will push to outsource more and more of our social welfare and social protection services, and so workers' power needs to be mobilised in action against this. Thank you. Thank you.
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