JobBridge

Conference directs the incoming Executive Council to express its genuine concern over the Government's JobBridge scheme, as it currently exists, without any oversight or direction from the Trade Union movement. The existing scheme depresses genuine job creation by providing a pool of free labour to employers and inevitably will create downward pressure on wage levels across all sectors of the economy. The lack of oversight and clear, transparent policies in advance of any placement leads to potential employer abuse of the scheme. With the admitted goal of using the JobBridge programme to reduce numbers on the Live Register, the Government has a clear motivation to maximise the number of placements, rather than effectively preventing inappropriate internships or sanctioning employers who abuse the scheme.Traditionally, apprenticeships have been an established method of job creation, with Union participation, where there is a clear understanding that a recognised qualification can be achieved and decent work could be available on completion of a placement. In contrast, the JobBridge programme potentially supplants this recognised system with a scheme where it is accepted that employers need not pay for their labour and no guarantee exists for qualifications or work on completion of a placement. From an organising context, this scheme has the added disadvantage of creating a section of the workforce who are unlikely to join a trade union, leaving workers even more vulnerable to exploitation and undermining trade union density in those workplaces. This damage to trade union strength will further destabilise the labour standards that have been long fought for. It is evident that there is no policy in place providing guidelines where a collective agreement exists between an employer and a trade union, and no guidelines for liaison with a trade union when placements are being considered. It is clear that efforts need to be made to stimulate job creation. However, as JobBridge in its current form decreases paid employment, it also undermines economic recovery. Conference calls on the Executive Council to secure a definite role on the JobBridge Steering Group in order to implement strenuous safeguards to prevent abuse, together with transparent oversight of all aspects of the scheme. In addition, there needs to be substantial sanctions imposed on employers found to be abusing the programme as a mechanism to have their labour costs subsidised with State funds.