A chara, - The Scheme Workers' Branch of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union notes with concern the recent statement made by the Minister for Finance, Mr Ruairi Quinn, before the Dail Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs. Mr Quinn, as referred to in The Irish Times of November 27th, stated: "The Government will be particularly looking to restrict the scope for people signing on to remain eligible for social welfare payments where they have turned down offers of work, training or places on an employment scheme.
The ATGWU Scheme Workers' Branch represents community employment workers and is the only union branch exclusively devoted to the interests of scheme workers. Important work is being carried out by 40,000 CE workers and they make a valuable contribution to disadvantaged communities throughout the country.
We believe that if this work was adequately recognised, in the form of proper trade-union rates for the job and full coverage under employment legislation, unemployed people would he far more likely to take places on employment schemes without any need for compulsion. In relation to Mr Quinn's other reported comments, non-acceptance of a scheme place is not, in itself, evidence or even a valid suggestion of welfare fraud. To infer otherwise is disingenuous and could he viewed as an attempt to introduce workfare by the back door. - Yours, etc.,
Branch Secretary, Scheme Workers' Branch, ATGWU, 55/56 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1.