tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post1166412014196974895..comments2023-10-30T02:03:56.081+13:00Comments on Capitalism Bad; Tree Pretty: Maia vs WINZ Part 1: WRK4UMaiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212711843307060731noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-11069309870396424362008-03-17T09:01:00.000+13:002008-03-17T09:01:00.000+13:00Oh dear. I can see this from both sides, having w...Oh dear. I can see this from both sides, having worked for WINZ for many years before being ditched by them under Christine Rankin's Obergruppenfuhrership in the 1990's.<BR/><BR/>Why did I ever join? I was not enjoying a miserable existence at Victoria with no money, then a holiday job with WINZ showed up, and it was actually fun. I got to talk to people and find out about them, while dealing with benefit applications. I met a lot of very interesting people. I joined up for real, then the real work started, learning how everything worked, gradually climbing the corporate ladder, and leading a team. From the late 80's onward, there was an increasingly robotic atmosphere, with dress standards, scripting for interviews, then appointments for interviews. Each step further separated staff from customers, until all the power lay with staff, and none at all with customers. What was once enjoyable became a chore, and staff could do little to alleviate the frustration and anger of customers. Security had to be brought in to cope with the violent outbursts.<BR/><BR/>In recent years I had become a PSA delegate, so naturally I was targeted when redundancies came about. Not long after, I got sick, and I've been on a benefit ever since. Only my many years on the job, and latterly being able to use the internet to check out the WINZ site, have kept me from exploding at several points. I only ever go in to the WINZ office if absolutely necessary. Not being able to see your customer service officer without a two week appointment means they are of almost no use, as in an emergency you have to deal with someone who's never met you. If you have unpredictable health, you can't make any long term plans.<BR/><BR/>So, overall, WINZ staff do a thankless job in a hostile environment. The faintly disorganized department I first joined, gave a lot more scope for personal service and simple courtesy, which no longer exists. All of the corporatization of the late 80's and 90's has sucked the soul out what was once a fun and rewarding workplace. The pity of it is that the current staff think that this system better fits them for work in the real corporate workplace. It doesn't. They're just basically equivalent to prison officers in suits. The business world (staffed by the moneyed products of private education) won't touch workers tainted by contact with the riff raff on benefits. Yes, I include myself in that group!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-31505920742788123842008-02-27T20:42:00.000+13:002008-02-27T20:42:00.000+13:00Hi there, what you have said is so true! Even peop...Hi there, what you have said is so true! Even people with kids fall through the cracks in there system :( (me) and its not fair when there are so many on the benefit who arent in need of it. I now have a partner and another child we went to winz for help but according to them one income was enough but after bills etc its all gone how do they figure that? Winz are a waste of time and prefer to push people back to the poverty depression ages. I now am looking at working instead of looking after my newborn baby because financialy one income is not enough so i loose out on my time with my baby because they refuse to help anyone that really needs it<BR/><BR/>ThanksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-76386590300991253152007-01-20T22:34:00.000+13:002007-01-20T22:34:00.000+13:00I am 35 years old, married with 1 child, and anoth...I am 35 years old, married with 1 child, and another one on the way. I can say some people like myself have ended up on the sickness benefit because the stress, & possibly resulting depression that has been incurred by the Government by using the WINZ department, to harrass, harang, bully, pickon etc. I am not what some people who have always had been in permanent work, would would call a dole bludger or long term unenmployed. I have worked every crap job under sometimes up to 10 a year. All the winz department has offered me is there solution to keep people in the poverty trap & screwing with there heads through the brainwashing work & 4 you seminars. Perhaps the real phrase that the government uses under there breath is work or otherwise we'll fxxx you with our policy. <br /><br />This is brief reaction to this blog for further comment please contact qquickas@hotmail.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-60918452573623405072007-01-03T22:03:00.000+13:002007-01-03T22:03:00.000+13:00Maia, great post. The thing that stands out for me...Maia, great post. The thing that stands out for me is your comment that those who most need assistance are least likely to get it - that's really disturbing. It's one thing for a young person to be forced into the awkward situation of having to ask parents for money, it's quite another to have no family, bugger all English, few friends and crappy housing and THEN to also be discouraged from applying for a benefit.<br /><br />I was on the unemployment benefit for 8 weeks between 3rd and 4th year at Uni. It was frustrating but no real hardship - it was well before many of the current reforms.<br /><br />Too many people simplistically think that because it's a tight labour market, there's jobs aplenty but the truth is that many of the vacancies are for skilled labour and therefore there's a cohort that can consistently miss-out - these are precisely the people that need and deserve assistance and the reason why we pay tax.<br /><br />That said, I do think WINZ have a responsibility to provide reasonable encouragement and advice to assist people into work.backin15https://www.blogger.com/profile/16526191748394549650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-51683248168767876112006-12-26T20:42:00.000+13:002006-12-26T20:42:00.000+13:00Well said. WINZ are a waste of time and money.
S...Well said. WINZ are a waste of time and money. <br /><br />Solution: scrap the unemployment benefit and replace it with unemployment insurance. <br /><br />The UB is a drain on those of us who work and pay for the thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-18183332668495665432006-12-26T10:36:00.000+13:002006-12-26T10:36:00.000+13:00A really awesome post.
For some reason I just tho...A really awesome post.<br /><br />For some reason I just thought of the Little Britian sketch with Pauline who works for 'Jobseekers', heh. It's awful, but great at the same.<br /><br />Oh and it was lovely to see you :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-65297569093316465682006-12-26T00:14:00.000+13:002006-12-26T00:14:00.000+13:00MikeE - you are not welcome to post on my blog any...MikeE - you are not welcome to post on my blog anymore.Maiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17212711843307060731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-30700365031615633122006-12-25T12:45:00.000+13:002006-12-25T12:45:00.000+13:00I should mention that the delays experienced are o...I should mention that the delays experienced are of the type Maia and Sofiya mention... you aren't allowed to make an appointment to apply for the benefit until you've had the Wrk4U seminar, and you're not allowed to go to the seminar until your current job has finished. Applying is only another hurdle however, as you'll need to provide a litany of documentation and evidence, and until you've provided the lot you won't receive a benefit.<br /><br />I truly expected that the richardsonist anti-beneficiary attitude of WINZ would go with the election of a Labour Government. The institutional culture of the organisation is still one where beneficiaries are treated as leaches, rather than genuine people who can't find work.<br /><br />Mikee, the welfare system is a form of social insurance. I'm sure you'd like it privatised or non-existent so we could have slums and extreme poverty, but your vision of paradise is not one shared by sane people.GZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07756723544792981390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-15203702153435899972006-12-24T21:22:00.000+13:002006-12-24T21:22:00.000+13:00Mikee, have you ever been unable to find work?
I...Mikee, have you ever been unable to find work? <br /><br />I have. And every time I've needed to go to WINZ and apply for the unemployment benefit. And every time I've been treated like a complete fraud. It's easier to get $100,000 from the bank than it is to get $180 a week for a few weeks. The requirements for documentation are pretty intense. I used to think that it was just me being a whinging bastard until I talked to others, who described the same stress, frustration and depression brought on by these experiences, and having to get heavily into debt while waiting for WINZ to pay a meagre allowance. And if you happen to find work (as I have) in the 3 or so weeks it takes to get anything, you'll likely not see any benefit at all, despite having rent, food and bills which don't pay themselves.<br /><br />Unfortunately, Labour MPs dont seem to understand/care about any of that. I've tried to explain, politely and clearly to several, and been rebuffed with rhetoric about looking for work (I was looking for work - that's what the bloody benefit is for!!!) , and assurances that the system is working. This Government hates beneficiaries... you're welcome to try and change my mind.GZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07756723544792981390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-76410050820952280572006-12-22T19:05:00.000+13:002006-12-22T19:05:00.000+13:00Hi Maia,
Attendence at WRK4U is voluntary. Work a...Hi Maia,<br /><br />Attendence at WRK4U is voluntary. Work and Income can't require anyone to attend anything until they actually start receiving income support. Unfortunately from about the middle of next year this is going to change.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-39158637869198204372006-12-22T10:36:00.000+13:002006-12-22T10:36:00.000+13:00Maia, once again, makes an excellent point - there...Maia, once again, makes an excellent point - there <b>is</b> more to life than having our labour exploited.<br /><br />Like Maia, I have always been a strong believer in the importance of unions and the role they play in protecting us from exploitative employers.<br /><br />Which is why, I suppose, I have always been able to accept the enormous amount of tax that the government takes out of the money I make in wages. <br /><br />After all, tax is just membership fees for a country-wide union of New Zealanders. WINZ is, therefore, supposed to be union-provided support for people who have been injured, fired, or otherwise put out of work and who need a little help getting back on their feet.<br /><br />Unfortunately, as Maia so rightly points out, the entire system is a failure - the very people who need it most miss out, whilst those who need it least (the ones who have no intention of finding work and rejoining the 'union' or who are simply trying to squeeze more money than they are is fairly entitled to from the 'union' by lying about their situation) are the ones who benefit.<br /><br />Why do we pay our 'union fees' to scabs?<br /><br />Allison.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-19964078405650734782006-12-22T00:45:00.000+13:002006-12-22T00:45:00.000+13:00Spot on Maia, you've nailed what almost everyone I...Spot on Maia, you've nailed what almost everyone I know comes up against repeatedly when dealing with WINZ - technocracy manifested as petty, beaurocratic, willfully dumb obstructiveness. <br /><br />Also the hypocrisy of beaurocrats in asserting over and over that work is an unconditional good when we all know, including them, that for the vast majority of us, it consists of being on the sharp end of unbalanced work relationships with exploitative, arbitrary, unreasonable, petty fascists called Bosses. <br /><br />Other arrangements, favoured a decade or two ago, before Rogernomics succeeded in purging all such socialistic ideas, like cooperatives, Ohus, or Workers Shares no longer seem to be deemed possible or supportable. Short of social revolution, there's no apparent way out. <br /><br />The one option that this system seems to favour, self employment, every woman and man their own Bob Jones or Annette Presley, can lead, as it did for me, to permanent injury, the aftereffects of a stroke brought on by the incredible stress of this lifestyle. Sorry to sound so down & good luck with your future tussles with the machine, maybe you'll have more luck than I did. <br />Grant (ultra blog)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-54641899521459553342006-12-21T19:21:00.000+13:002006-12-21T19:21:00.000+13:00You weren't, by any chance, at the same seminar as...You weren't, by any chance, at the same seminar as a South African couple I'm friends with, were you? They told me there was a fabulous woman at their seminar who gave the WINZ case worker a hard time, and oddly enough I immediately thought of you!<br /><br />Those seminars are total bullshit, and so are all the other hoops WINZ makes you jump through. When I was on the dole, they kept doing things like "accidentally" cancelling my payments the day before I had to pay rent, and "accidentally" sending me letters to say they wouldn't pay me any more because I had a job, which meant that I had to book appointments with a case worker and show up with bank statements to prove I had no money, and the appointments were total bullshit and had to be made two weeks in advance, during which time I got no payments, and when I showed up to the appointment I had to wait an average of two and a half hours before anyone would see me. (I was like, "Um, will someone tell me what/where this mysterious job is, so I can show up to do it? Because I'd sure love to have a job right about now!")<br /><br />I'm really glad someone as well-informed as you is standing up for your, and all New Zealanders', rights on this issue. Good for you.Sofiyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02271450822046525653noreply@blogger.com