The government is to give new "job splitting" grants to
employers willing to offer part-time work to people claiming unemployment
benefit. The new scheme, which took many union leaders and large
employers by surprise last night, will be announced in detail in the autumn. It
is intended to cost the taxpayer nothing because of savings in unemployment
benefit. The proposal, unveiled last night by Mr. Norman Tebbit, Secretary of
State for Employment, will be in addition to the new Community Programme for the
long-term unemployed. Mr. Tebbit said that under the scheme a
vacancy could be offered to two unemployed people, one unemployed person and one
existing full-time employee. The Employment Secretary suggested
yesterday that workers reaching retirement might find the idea of sharing their
job attractive, if pensions could be secured. But he also said that firms might
find it attractive to offer one vacancy to two school leavers.
Mr. Tebbit claimed that both the schemes would make it possible for more
people to "regain the dignity of a job, to remain in work, even on a part-time
basis". In a sharp reaction to the Community Programme, Mr.
Nicholas Hinton, director of the National Council for Voluntary Organizations,
whose members will be expected to sponsor many of the new places, said: "The
government is trying to spread too little money too thinly among too many people
and many voluntary organizations are suspicious of its motives."
The Engineering Employer’s Federation said it would be recommending the
job splitting scheme to its member. Who is against the scheme