According to a BBC reporter on the TV news lead item tonight, the unemployed will be forced under new government plans to do manual labour for charities and local authorities - and I quote - "even litter picking and gardening".
Yes, force them to do the mindless, unskilled, menial horror that is gardening. Is there no level that this government will not sink to? I mean, gardening of all things? Not even a real job. No one with any self-respect would want to do it, would they?
Well, yes, actually. We do. This kind of coverage of our profession is just the sort of ill-informed nonsense that helps to perpetuate the myth that we do an unskilled, menial job that anyone can do. It helps to belittle our profession in the eyes of our potential customers, ignores the years of training and experience that are required to do our work to the high standards that we insist upon, undermines our standing as a profession, and helps to undermine the already borderline economics of what we do.
This sort of sloppy journalism is par for the course, but it is also yet another reminder - as if we needed one - that we have to do all that we can to promote our work as a profession, one that requires a high level of knowledge and skill, and one that should be respected for its high standards and continual pursuit of excellence.
We must all sieze every opportunity to promote our profession, and to build the respect for the gardener, the landscaper and our work back to the level that it was in the days of the great estates. LJN is one way to do this, and we should all take an active role in ensuring that this and other networks and professional bodies that we are members of make the most of all opportunities to show the public - and the government - that what we do is valuable, professional, not something that can be done by a legion of the unwilling, the unskilled and the untrained
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From the way its been discussed, it seems to me that it may be linked in with the idea of encouraging people to become self employed to get them off the handouts. Problem is that could be setting many up to fail if they choose Gardening as a business, with its V high start up costs and learning requirements. Could be counter productive if it knocks their confidence (which failure will).
Employ them in banking, they can't be any worse than the last lot, can they?
In banking, they just have to push a button, buy or sell. Whereas In laying patio they could be working to very fine measurements.
In banking, loan yes or no. In Nurseries, prune or not, far more technical.
It's official, Horticulture is more technical and more skilled than banking.
A year or two back I had a vacancy for a labourer driver, a chap turned up for an interview sent by the local job centre. I asked him when he had last worked, it was three years earlier, "why haven't you been able to find anything?", I asked him.
"No one wants me at my age" he said
He was in his late forties, as my mum in law was working for me then, just having turned seventy, age for me wasn't a problem.
"I'll give you a go", I said
He had a look round and said "I don't think I could settle to this" then walked away.
I let the job centre know but what happened I don't know.
1. Cut the number and cost of the unemployed by giving them a job
2. Make it the worst job you can think of
Well, 1. makes sense, 2. is just bonkers. And they wonder why this policy never works.
Educate and train people and give them the opportunity to work. Provide help and support (including benefits) to those that can't (not won't) work. But most of all, give the country a strong mixed economy that creates a wealth and range of opportunities for all - and don't piss our money away shoring up a corrupt banking system that hasn't a clue what it is doing and rewards massive risk-taking and greed at our expense.
Fenlandphil said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11706545
Could the various news agencies, especially Channel 5, have put this spin on it to raise the profile for their news programs?
So did Danny Alexander say this in another clip or is it 3rd hand 'bad' reporting ?
Anyone know for sure ?
I guess we'll read the truth tomorrow in The Sun....
So has it come out of journalistic style hype ?
Gary RK said:
The damage can so easily be done by a bad sound bite from a minister or sloppy reporting.
At least if its a minister, you can approach them via your MP and let you know what you, as a 'business' think.
Journalist's - well do they care if it increases their paper's circulation ?
Gary RK said:
Dear Gary,
Thank you for your email. I am sorry if you were offended by our plans and I can assure you that we do not believe that the work undertaken by landscapers and gardeners to be menial – I myself have not heard any government minister express such a sentiment.
This week sees Iain Duncan Smith unveil his full plans for our radical overhaul of the benefits system and I fully support him in his efforts. These reforms will incentivise work and will proactively help people enter employment. However, along with the many carrots we are offering we do of course have to introduce sanctions to those who – according to their advisor in their Job Centre Plus – are not doing all that they can to seek employment. One of the barriers to people seeking work is the fact that they have forgotten the habits and routines of working life. The Work Activity Scheme is a way to break through this barrier as well as providing employers with a gold plated reference – not to make people undertake ‘menial’ work.
I do hope that this reassures you as to the Government’s and my own believes on this but please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this further.
Best wishes,
Jeremy
Rt. Hon. Jeremy Hunt MP
Member of Parliament for South West Surrey
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Perhaps if we all did it, our profile (as landscapers and gardeners) would raised even higher ?
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