Nats job talk criticised

Press, 12 June 1986, Page 32

Nats job talk criticised

PA Wellington The Mental Health Foundation has joined critics of the National Party’s discussion paper on unemployment. Comments by National’s employment spokesman, Mr Bill Birch, and the Opposition member of Parliament for Selwyn, Miss Ruth Richardson, only served to reinforce the myth of the dole bludger, said the foundation’s deputy director, Dr Hilary Haines. Moves to scrap the dole would worsen mental health problems associated with unemployment, Dr Haines said.

“To suggest young people should become more self-sufficient and to say they should be discouraged from relying on welfare appears

callous.” Teen-age unemployment had reached 12.2 per cent and the true rate, including discouraged job-seekers, could be much higher. Young Maori women were particularly hard hit and there had been a decline in rural jobs, particularly for women. “Is Mr Birch serious when he suggests the unemployment benefit is actively inhibiting job-seek-ing for these groups?” Dr Haines asked.

Work training schemes had merit when they trained people for jobs which existed. They could be harmful if used to disguise economic and social decisions which created unemployment. Creating jobs in community organisations

of value if the schemes were long-term, on award wages, and offered opportunities to use the skills acquired, Dr Haines said. Expecting people to work for a community organisation for less than the minimum wage simply because they were unemployed was punitive. “The negative psychological impact of unemployment comes about partly from financial stresses and partly from feeling undervalued and useless in a society which expects people to work and puts the blame on them personally when there are not enough jobs.” Proposals which increased financial strain and (feelings of alienation were no solution, Dr Hairies said.