Supermarket Tesco has amended a job advert looking for a permanent night shift worker in exchange for no wages, saying it was a mistake.
The move follows outrage on Twitter, where users had highlighted the advert for a worker at a store in west Suffolk on the Jobseekers' Plus website.
The job was offered under the Government's workfare scheme, which is linked to payment of benefits. The advert said the wages would simply be jobseeker's allowance and expenses.
The error came after unions called for high street chains to withdraw from Government programmes that require the unemployed to work for up to six months or face losing their benefits.
Tesco defended its involvement in the scheme, saying that such work experience could be valuable.
So far, 300 young people have gone on to get permanent employment after a placement, the statement added.
Such placements were not a replacement or substitute for our permanent staff.
The statement added: In general, Tesco staff receive a higher level of basic pay than any other supermarket, without exception.
Shopworkers' union Usdaw, which represents more than 400,000 workers in high street stores, said it was in discussions with major retailers about their involvement, saying that while work experience could be valuable, schemes should be voluntary and pay the going rate.
Employment Minister Chris Grayling told the Commons last month that the scheme was working well and was much better value for money for the taxpayer than the last Labour government's Future Jobs Fund.
Jobseekers' allowance is currently paid at ã53.45 per week for under-25s, or ã67.50 for older staff.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/9087433/Tesco-sparks-Twitter-fury-with-job-advert.html
Not sure how anyone could live on that Jobseekers' allowance.
The move follows outrage on Twitter, where users had highlighted the advert for a worker at a store in west Suffolk on the Jobseekers' Plus website.
The job was offered under the Government's workfare scheme, which is linked to payment of benefits. The advert said the wages would simply be jobseeker's allowance and expenses.
The error came after unions called for high street chains to withdraw from Government programmes that require the unemployed to work for up to six months or face losing their benefits.
Tesco defended its involvement in the scheme, saying that such work experience could be valuable.
So far, 300 young people have gone on to get permanent employment after a placement, the statement added.
Such placements were not a replacement or substitute for our permanent staff.
The statement added: In general, Tesco staff receive a higher level of basic pay than any other supermarket, without exception.
Shopworkers' union Usdaw, which represents more than 400,000 workers in high street stores, said it was in discussions with major retailers about their involvement, saying that while work experience could be valuable, schemes should be voluntary and pay the going rate.
Employment Minister Chris Grayling told the Commons last month that the scheme was working well and was much better value for money for the taxpayer than the last Labour government's Future Jobs Fund.
Jobseekers' allowance is currently paid at ã53.45 per week for under-25s, or ã67.50 for older staff.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/9087433/Tesco-sparks-Twitter-fury-with-job-advert.html
Not sure how anyone could live on that Jobseekers' allowance.
