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....
Konekt charge taxpayers $216 for a 10 minute phone call
Mutual obligations make it harder to get a job
15 June 2021, The Conversation, Ruud Gerards and Ricardo Welters. Access the full article here….
Podcast: Job seekers sent to body language courses for job agents to profit
1 September 2022, Guardian Australia, Presented by Laura Murphy-Oates and Reported by Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access…
ParentsNext needs to be replaced, inquiry finds
1 March 2023, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Parliamentary panel calls…
ParentsNext program is morally reprehensible
24 December 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Human Rights Commission…
Media spotlight on employment services
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Too late to can new employment services system, Employment Minister
19 June 2022, Guardian Australia, Sarah Martin. Access the full article here. Tony Burke aims to make scheme ‘logical’, despite unemployment advocates’ calls for halt to controversial program The employment minister, Tony Burke, says it is too late to scrap a controversial points-based mutual obligationParticipation requirements…
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Analysis: In Australia’s welfare sector obligations are ‘mutual’, but profits flow only one way
6 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. As jobseekers face ‘humiliating’ tasks to maintain payments, vast network of job agencies rakes in hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars Two words make the money go round in Australia’s multi-billion dollar welfare-to-work…
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Podcast: Job seekers sent to body language courses for job agents to profit
1 September 2022, Guardian Australia, Presented by Laura Murphy-Oates and Reported by Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full audio here. Jobseekers are being forced to travel hundreds of kilometres, miss work and complete training courses they don’t need to qualify for unemployment benefits. Luke Henriques-Gomes explains to Laura Murphy-Oates why…
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.