Stories
We have published a number of stories from Antipoverty Centre surveys, the Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union review app, news media and other sources on this site and will be adding to these over time to create an archive of material demonstrating the harms caused by “mutual” obligations and employment services providersCompliance with “mutual” obligations is enforced by outsourced employment se....
Work for the Dole sucks badly
Australia has its lowest unemployment rate in decades. Why are some jobseekers struggling to find work?
18 August 2022, SBS News, Jessica Bahr. Access the full article here. Australia’s unemployment rate…
Staff review: Their business model is to keep people unemployed
Living on Centrelink payments means jumping through hoops and living on scraps – will it ever end?
5 October 2021, Guardian Australia, Lysa Llyod. Access the full article here. Life for those…
Crossbench concerned about treatment of poor people
7 July 2022, Vice Australia, John Buckley. Access the full article here. We can’t forget…
Left alone to supervise the Work for the Dole site
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Australia’s billion-dollar welfare-to-work system gave recipients fake CVs — with people’s real details
15 February 2023, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. One person whose number was shared on a fake CV was receiving phone calls because of Workforce Australia’s online learning module. Workforce Australia has included people’s real phone numbers in fake résumés shown to…
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‘It isn’t working’: the government’s Workforce Australia launch derailed by outages and errors
5 July 2022, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. Australians who risk losing welfare payments if they don’t fulfil Workforce Australia’s requirements were unable to access the service at launch. The rollout of the federal government’s new unemployment services program, Workforce Australia, has…
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‘Where is their obligation to us?’ Unemployed workers protest the Albanese government’s new welfare obligations
1 June 2022, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. For unemployed workers who are soon to be included in a new mutual obligationParticipation requirements welfare recipients must fulfil each month to continue... scheme, there’s no honeymoon period for the Albanese government. Undeterred by a drizzly Sydney day, a group of protesters led…
Employment services survey
The Punishment for Profit report is based on hundreds of responses to surveys conducted by the Antipoverty Centre. This research is ongoing. If you are in Workforce Australia, Disability Employment Services or a similar program, we welcome any information you are able to share about your experiences.