Forced labour schemes/The UN Global Compact's ten principles

The request was refused by Department for Work and Pensions.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Under a request previously made on this website
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/wo...
The DWP revealed (as copied below) the names of the organisations that have provided work boost placements over the past 12 months to A4e customers, from its placement department at Whittington House 764-768 Holloway Road, N19 3JQ.

The UN Global Compact's ten principles
http://www.unglobalcompact.org/AboutTheG...

in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption enjoy universal consensus and are derived from:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The International Labour Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
The United Nations Convention Against Corruption

Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour States:
http://www.unglobalcompact.org/AboutTheG...

What does Forced and Compulsory Labour mean?

Forced or compulsory labour is any work or service that is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty, and for which that person has not offered himself or herself voluntarily. Providing wages or other compensation to a worker does not necessarily indicate that the labour is not forced or compulsory. By right, labour should be freely given and employees should be free to leave in accordance with established rules.

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The DWP force claimants to work for companies taking part in their "schemes", under threat of destitution from the penalty of withdrawing benefits if they fail to comply,. I would like to request the DWP policy and any guidance etc which justifies encouraging the companies listed below, and all other companies which take part in the governments compulsory labour schemes, to ignore the UN Global Compact's ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.

Also would you please supply a statement of whether the DWP and the government adhere to the UN Global Compact's ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.

4 ACRES
4 ACRES LIMITED PALMERS GREEN
ABNEY PARK CEMETERY
A-CLASS FOOTBALL FOUNDATION
BARAKAH MINI MARKET
BOOKERS CASH AND CARRY
BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION (Camden)
BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION (Crickle Wood)
BTVC
CENTRE WESTMINSTER
CHARITY SHOPS IN VARIOUS LONDON PLACES
DAYLIGHT
DOREEN HAIR FASHION SALOON
ENVIRONMENT AND REGENERATION
FINSBURY PARK BUSINESS FORUM
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH
HANDEL HOUSE MUSEUM
HARRIOTS
HIGHGATE NEWTOWN COMM CENTER
HOME START
HOMES FOR ISLINGTON
HORNSEY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
KILTRO(UK) LTD
LINCOLN HARTFORD SOLICITORS
LIVABILITY
MARIE CURIE
NORFOLK TRUCKS
OXFAM BOOKSHOP
OXFAM BOOKSHOP HIGHGATE
P.D.S.A
P.H.A RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS
RESTORE COMMUNITY PROJECT
SAINT MUGUS
SALIBURY MEWS HARINGES
SPRINGBOARD UK
ST. MARY PRE-SCHOOL
STRATEGIC PRO. OFFICE, ISLINGHTON
STUDIO 28 LIGHT AND DESIGN
SUNNYSIDE ECOLOGY CENTER
TRADE LIMITED
WESTMINSTER VOLUNTEER CENTER
WHITTINGTON HOSPITAL
Y.M.C.A.
________________________________
YMCA GOODGE ST.
YMCA KENSINGTON
1'OCLOCK CLUB BARNSBURY
ARABIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT
ASDA STARES EDMONTON GREEN
ASPIRE FOUNDATION
BARDENS CAFÉ
BBC/subell leisure centre
BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION
CAREFREE KIDS
ESSENTIAL RUBBER
FINSBURY + CLERTRNWELL VOLUNTEERS
FINSBURY PARK BUSINESS FORUM
FINSBURY PARK BUSINESS FORUM (MARSHALLS
TEAM)
GARDENING
HACKNEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
HIGH GATE NEWTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE
HIGH GATE NEWTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE (POOR
SCHOOL)
MARIE CURIE
MATRIX COMPLEX
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS
OXFAM BOOKSHOP
PRAMP
RESTORE COMMUNITY PROJECTS
RICHARD CL SCHOOL
ROBERT BLAIRE PRIMARY SCHOOL
THE R.S.P.C.A.
WHITTINGTON HOSPITAL
WILLIAM FROST GARDENING
WORKING MEN'S COLLEGE
ANGLO-CHINESE ARTS COUNCIL
4 ACRES
A4E
BTCV
CAMPAIGN AGAINST ARMSTRADE
CARE UK
EALING HAMMERSMITH & WEST LONDON COLLEGE
FINSBURY PARK BUSINESS FORUM
GARDENING
HIGH GATE NEWTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE
HIGH GATE NEWTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE
HOME START
HOUSE STREET CHARITY BOOKSHOP/GILLESPIE
PARK NATURE RESERVE
________________________________
LIGHT PROJECT INTERNATIONAL
MARIE CURIE
MEDOUET
OXFAM
OXFAM BOOKSHOP
PETER BEDFORD HOUSING ASSOCIATION
RESTORE COMMUNITY PROJECTS
ST. JOHN'S STREET LIBRARY/AGE CONCERN
Whittington hospital
WHITTINGTON HOSPITAL
YMCA CAMDEN
OXFAM BOOKSHOP
a4e CAMDEN
A4E WOOLWICH
BARAKAH MINI MARKET
CANCER RESEARCH UK
CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION
FINSBURY AND CLERKENWELL VOLUNTEERS
FINSBURY PARK BUSINESS FORUM
HARINGAY VOLUNTARY SERVICES
HIGHBURY NEW PARK DAY CENTRE
HIGHGATE NEWTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE
LONDON FELD PRIMARY SCHOOL
MIGRANTS RESOURCE CENTRE
MONTEM PRIMARY SCHOOL
OUR LADY KENTISH TOWN
OXFAM BOOKSHOP
RESTORE COMMUNITY PROJECTS
ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE
SAINSBURY'S GOLDERS GREEN
SIMPLY ACCOUNTABLE
SUE RYDER CARE - CITY OF ISL.
TINY TOTS NURSERY/HG COMM CENTRE
VOLUNTEER CENTRE HAMMERSMITH
WHITTINGTON HOSPITAL
YMCA
YMCA CHARITY SHOP

Yours faithfully,

Mr Taylor

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

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Mr Jones left an annotation ()

Yes, I thought 'workfare' is just an euphemism for slave labour and against Human Rights law.

Mr Taylor left an annotation ()

Included in the list above (nine from the bottom) ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE

Name removed 30 November 2012 (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Royal Courts of what?

Justice ha ha ha ha ha

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Please find attached the response to your FoI request

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'Forced labour schemes/The UN Global Compact's ten principles'.

Your response only refers to Mandatory Work Related Activity (MWRA) part of the Flexible New Deal Programme.

My request was not limited to this scheme but also encompassed ALL of the companies which take part in ALL of the governments compulsory labour schemes, and the DWP policy and any guidance etc which justifies
encouraging those companies to ignore the UN Global Compact's ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.

In addition you have not supplied information on whether the DWP and the government adhere to the UN Global Compact's ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.

Please supply the information I have requested, in good faith, at your earliest convenience.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/fo...

Yours faithfully,

Mr Taylor

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been received at the DWP Central FoI Team.

We will forward your request to the relevant information owner within the
Department who will respond to you direct.

Should you also have any further queries in connection with this request
do please contact us.

For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.

[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

Mr Peterson left an annotation ()

THE WORK PROGRAMME
PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL DATA

Just because the Con-Dem government forced you onto The Work Programme, they
cannot legally force you to give your personal information to providers like A4e.
In 2010 an A4e laptop containing the personal details of 24,000 Community Legal Advice
Centre clients in Hull and Leicester was stolen in a burglary. The personal details included
names, addresses, and information about alleged criminal activity and whether the client had
been a victim of violence.

During Work Programme induction, A4e will give you a Information Disclosure form to fill-in. This form should clearly state that your consent to giving them your personal
information is voluntary - and you may withdraw that consent at any time. And, more
importantly, refusal to fill in the form will NOT affect any benefits you are receiving.
Both A4e and Ingeus refused an ECAP request to see a blank Information Disclosure form.
What have they got to hide?

A4e doesn’t want you to know your rights. The A4e Information Disclosure form may only
contain the phrase “Informed Consent”. This means they assume you already understand
the risks of giving them your personal data. 24,000 A4e clients thought they did. Do you?

Website: http://www.boycottworkfare.org Email: info@boycottworkfare.org

Sharon May left an annotation ()

Royal Courts of Justice is likely to be the location, not the placement provider and likely to be an advice agency located within the Courts.

Name removed 30 November 2012 (Account suspended) left an annotation ()

Then why doesn't it say that then?

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Taylor

Please see attached response to your FoI request.

Kind regards

DWP Central FoI Team

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