Volume 4, Issue 1, October 1995

WHAT WE NEED IS JOB CREATION, NOT WORKFARE

Working for minimum wages pays poorly, but working for welfare is even worse. The proposed workfare programme in Ontario, if a job can be provided for a single, employable person, will earn them $3.71 an hour. As a society that's something to be proud of to support.

In addition, let it be noted that welfare recipients who participate in provincial employability progammes are not covered by standard labour codes, cannot join unions, have no rights of minimum wage, and cannot take statutory holidays, rest periods or vacations.

Workfare becomes a fully legal policy option for Canadian provinces on April 1. At that time the Canadian Assistance Plan (CAP) will be replaced by the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) act. The CHST imposes far fewer restrictions on social spending rules and will allow provinces using federal money to implement work-for-welfare programmes.

Because CHST is a block transfer payment that covers the costs of health care and post-secondary education as well as welfare and social services, provinces are more likely to spend more on health and education, as these are more politically popular.

With approximately three million Canadians receiving welfare benefits, more than a million of these are capable of employment and could well be demanded to work as a condition of receiving benefits. It is when calculation of the cost of providing jobs for these people is made that we find there is no saving. Where such programmes have been tried in some American states it has been found to be more costly to deliver.

If the purpose of workfare is to save tax dollars, then it fails its purpose. If it is to help the recipient then we must be prepared to pay much more for it.

In actuality, demeaning the unfortunate by compulsory make-work jobs is shameful, and to give them standard jobs in the end does not create jobs but replaces them.

What is needed is job creation.

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"Religion NOW" is published in limited edition by the Rev. Ross E. Readhead, B.A., B.D., Certificate of Corrections, McMaster University, in the interest of furthering knowledge and participation in religion. Dialogue is invited and welcomed.