Minister outlines plans for slavery of the Jersey people

Keeping the wage slaves working for government 

The States of Jersey want you working hard, earning tax revenue and social security contributions for a cash strapped government.

Over the past few days the Minister for Social Security has made public a number of 'innovations' to the Social Security system.

GETTING YOU INTO WORK

The minister unveiled a new scheme under which local people would be given a tax free sum of £650 at the end of a period of six months of employment. Employers too would be paid £2,080 to take people on for a post which lasted at least six months and £1,000 if the post was subsequently made permanent.

The most striking feature of this offer is the insistence on a minimum period of six months which means of course that the relationship has to fall under the auspices of the widely reviled Employment Law (Jersey) 2003.

KEEPING YOU IN WORK

Then once an employee is established in a position new plans unveiled reveal that if you leave 'without a good reason' then you will not be entitled to income support (or some parts of it) for an extended period. One can only assume that a 'good reason' is something which will give rise to a hearing of the Employment Tribunal and then your former employer will be paying for the first month or so of your unemployment.

COMBINED EFFECT

So the combined effect of these is to encourage people to take positions for six months and then once they have their bonus and are bored of the work, to mess around and drive their employer to distraction by not working and costing him money.

A BETTER WAY

Repeal the Employment Law and I will take on two staff tomorrow.

Once again the government seeks a solution in greater complexity when the only viable solution is in the simplification of the system.

Fundamentally a contract is a contract and they must be entered into freely and willingly without coercion. All employment contracts have clauses for the dissolution of the employment, why should an employer suffer for exercising the terms and conditions of that contract, there is absolutely no reason why you need a reason to terminate an employment contract.

If you are employed and the company does well and you work hard then there is no danger of you losing your job.