Minister: Those fit for work must work for welfare

We already have this type of program in Australia. It is called "work for the dole", and long term unemployed people (6 months plus) are "obliged" to undertake it. Yes, it does give unemployed people a chance to be occupied and maybe learn a new skill or two, but the other side is that it creates free labour for usually menial public works programs, fixing roads, public beautification programs, plus some token computer/office based programs that lead to little or no value for both the individual welfare recipient and the wider community in general. Because people are forced to do it, and are given a limited amount of choices, they end up doing something they're not suited to and not good at. If people on welfare are forced to "work", they should be paid "award wages", which is only fair. Forcing people to work for welfare is cruel, particularly when unemployment is high and there is a lack of legitimate jobs for the unemployed to apply for. This combined with the cuts to the Serbian public sector and reduction in pensions will only spell disaster for the working class. Don't do it! Nemojte!

Let's face it, some people who cannot find work are being excluded from the labor market for reasons having nothing to do with skills, fitness or competence to work. Forcing them to work for subsistence benefits will just put them in the hands of those denying them work in the first place.

The rest who are on welfare really think that the world owes them some basic existence. You can easily see who they are. They immigrate to get the benefits. Or, they start raising families while on welfare. Or both.

The purpose of programs like this is to shift responsibility from the government, Governments use these programs to punish people for being poor telling them "you recieve welfare because you are lazy and must be forced to work" that may be true with some people if the unemployment rates are single digits. But when unemployment rates account for more than a quarter of the workforce, and when minimum wages are lowest in the world, its time for the Government to stop talking about Austerity and blaming people for being without

Not a bad initiative if mixed with a decent training program to help the unemployed get some useful skills while staying in the job market. It shouldn't be about punishment; it should be about helping people get back in the labor market. At some point, Serbia will fix its business environment so firms can grow and hire people and the unemployed need to be ready to step into jobs. Serbia's current vocational training, like its education system in general, is terrible and not providing skills needed in the modern economy.

It's not the fact that people will be made to do menial jobs, but by attending a workplace it will prevent people from claiming unemployment benefit and working a second job on the black.
As is prevailent in the UK for example.

Yes Ned, Australia has implemented this stupidity. People can't afford to work for the dole. They have to pay for public transport, make sure they look presentable and all for the privilege of working for next to nothing.
How can someone afford to put petrol in their car if they own one to drive to work for such low income? Does the goverment even consider this when they force people to work for the dole?
If there are jobs to be done then make them real jobs with real pay instead of creading an army of slaves. There is no dignity working for pay on par with third world countries when you have to afford to live in a first world country. It costs money to go to work and this has not even crossed anyone'e mind.
Bottom line, if there is a job to do then employ people to do it.

@ned, see your point, but at the end of the day i'd rather see those on the dole having to do something for it, menial or not. afterall, they are economically draining the system they're within, why shouldn't they offer even token effort for their "free meal ticket".

we must remember that a country's welfare system, its size and ability to dole out cash is a reflection of the nation's wealth. it is a reflection of taxes collected from the employed. it is a privilege not a right.
if those who are not too proud to accept help, should not be too proud to do something for it.
there a numerous useful projects that could be done in such a model. its not too different than the state-sponsored infrastructure projects many nations have done in the past. for a functioning local economy, one needs to have the appropriate infrastructure around it. if you build it they will come. but if we just moan about the immediate, about the embarrassment, and tangential difficulties of working for the dole, perhaps a publicly made list of handout recipients, tax-breaks, governmental assistance, any socially funded program should be given to those that pay for it, the tax payer.
i know its awful not being able to work, not having a chance to find employment, but sitting on your butt waiting for your regular shipment government cheese isn't helping anyone.

Yes Ned, Australia has implemented this stupidity. People can't afford to work for the dole. They have to pay for public transport, make sure they look presentable and all for the privilege of working for next to nothing.
How can someone afford to put petrol in their car if they own one to drive to work for such low income? Does the goverment even consider this when they force people to work for the dole?
If there are jobs to be done then make them real jobs with real pay instead of creading an army of slaves. There is no dignity working for pay on par with third world countries when you have to afford to live in a first world country. It costs money to go to work and this has not even crossed anyone'e mind.
Bottom line, if there is a job to do then employ people to do it.

We already have this type of program in Australia. It is called "work for the dole", and long term unemployed people (6 months plus) are "obliged" to undertake it. Yes, it does give unemployed people a chance to be occupied and maybe learn a new skill or two, but the other side is that it creates free labour for usually menial public works programs, fixing roads, public beautification programs, plus some token computer/office based programs that lead to little or no value for both the individual welfare recipient and the wider community in general. Because people are forced to do it, and are given a limited amount of choices, they end up doing something they're not suited to and not good at. If people on welfare are forced to "work", they should be paid "award wages", which is only fair. Forcing people to work for welfare is cruel, particularly when unemployment is high and there is a lack of legitimate jobs for the unemployed to apply for. This combined with the cuts to the Serbian public sector and reduction in pensions will only spell disaster for the working class. Don't do it! Nemojte!

It's not the fact that people will be made to do menial jobs, but by attending a workplace it will prevent people from claiming unemployment benefit and working a second job on the black.
As is prevailent in the UK for example.

@ned, see your point, but at the end of the day i'd rather see those on the dole having to do something for it, menial or not. afterall, they are economically draining the system they're within, why shouldn't they offer even token effort for their "free meal ticket".

The purpose of programs like this is to shift responsibility from the government, Governments use these programs to punish people for being poor telling them "you recieve welfare because you are lazy and must be forced to work" that may be true with some people if the unemployment rates are single digits. But when unemployment rates account for more than a quarter of the workforce, and when minimum wages are lowest in the world, its time for the Government to stop talking about Austerity and blaming people for being without

Let's face it, some people who cannot find work are being excluded from the labor market for reasons having nothing to do with skills, fitness or competence to work. Forcing them to work for subsistence benefits will just put them in the hands of those denying them work in the first place.

The rest who are on welfare really think that the world owes them some basic existence. You can easily see who they are. They immigrate to get the benefits. Or, they start raising families while on welfare. Or both.

Not a bad initiative if mixed with a decent training program to help the unemployed get some useful skills while staying in the job market. It shouldn't be about punishment; it should be about helping people get back in the labor market. At some point, Serbia will fix its business environment so firms can grow and hire people and the unemployed need to be ready to step into jobs. Serbia's current vocational training, like its education system in general, is terrible and not providing skills needed in the modern economy.

we must remember that a country's welfare system, its size and ability to dole out cash is a reflection of the nation's wealth. it is a reflection of taxes collected from the employed. it is a privilege not a right.
if those who are not too proud to accept help, should not be too proud to do something for it.
there a numerous useful projects that could be done in such a model. its not too different than the state-sponsored infrastructure projects many nations have done in the past. for a functioning local economy, one needs to have the appropriate infrastructure around it. if you build it they will come. but if we just moan about the immediate, about the embarrassment, and tangential difficulties of working for the dole, perhaps a publicly made list of handout recipients, tax-breaks, governmental assistance, any socially funded program should be given to those that pay for it, the tax payer.
i know its awful not being able to work, not having a chance to find employment, but sitting on your butt waiting for your regular shipment government cheese isn't helping anyone.