Dole claim denied

Press, 13 February 1979, Page 22

Dole claim denied

Workers at the Christ-, 'church City Council’s ■ employment booth in Cath- ; edral Square do not agree j with an assertion by the Do- ; minion chairman of the i Young. Nationals (Mr M. R. 1 Gummer) that the unemployed stay on the dole be- ’ cause it is attractive. ] “We have had a lot of I interest from unemployed 1 people who are desperate for 1 jobs.” said Miss’ Karen Beanland, who runs the booth ’ with Miss Nicola Holmes. Miss Beanland said that I the service was part of a ’ policy to bring the Labour i Department to the suburbs and to unemployed young i people who might be reluc- ; tant to approach the depart- i ment’s offices. 1

A total of 71 persons had approached the booth for help in its first three weeks. The service is designed to help those aged between 16 and 19, but it has been approached by pensioners and two unemployed teachers. Miss Beanland said that the emphasis was on placing persons in part-time jobs to help tide them over financially and to prevent their losing the work habit. Miss’ Beanland and Miss Holmes will return to University studies at the end of the month. The City Council will then decide whether to run the service permanently. The response from the unemployed and employers, and finances, would be the criteria for permanence, Miss Beanland said.