Anti-poverty activists from the Australian Unemployed Workers鈥 Union (AUWU), the Antipoverty Centre and supporters gathered outside Labor employment minister Tony Burke鈥檚 office in Punchbowl, Sydney, on July 1 to protest the new Workforce Australia system.
Burke鈥檚 office did not allow the activists in so they were unable to hand over a petition calling for no one to be suspended for the first three months of the new system. The petition was supported by more than 30,000 people.
Antipoverty Centre spokesperson Jay Coonan said it is 鈥渄isgusting that the minister can close his doors to people鈥. 鈥淲hat we are seeing is the automisation of welfare, people are not going to have the support they need.鈥
Burke has refused to talk with anti-poverty advocates, who have major concerns about the new points-based activation system that begins in July.
He has, however, discussed the system with the privatised job service providers, that profit from people being trapped in poverty.
AUWU spokesperson Jeremy Poxon thanked welfare recipients and low income workers for supporting the action, and said Burke would not 鈥渆scape accountability for the pain he is causing鈥.
While Labor has refused to raise the rate of JobSeeker 鈥 currently at $46 a day 鈥 half the Henderson poverty line of $88 per day 鈥 they are going ahead with the stage 3 tax cuts that will benefit the rich.