Protesters target Brighton office of job search firm

Campaigners are planning to protest outside the Brighton offices of the company A4e tomorrow (Wednesday 21 March) to coincide with the budget.

A4e, which has offices in Queen’s Road, Brighton, has won contracts worth more than £200 million to help unemployed people find work.

It became the subject of controversy amid claims that people were being forced to do unpaid work or lose their benefits.

Several companies pulled out of a work experience scheme after they were targeted by protesters.

Tomorrow at noon the campaign group Youth Fight for Jobs and Education said that it would be calling for socially useful jobs to be created by the government.

It said that this should be the goal instead of forcing the unemployed to work for next to nothing.

Youth Fight for Jobs and Education said that A4e “gets young unemployed people to do unpaid work, boosting the profits of the companies that take part in workfare programmes”.

It added: “While a number of companies have expressed reservations over the workfare schemes, the scandal of low pay, poor hours and insecure employment has not ended.

“This protest is part of a national day of action to highlight the fact that Tory and Lib Dem ministers intend cutting higher rate tax against the background of rising unemployment and cuts to welfare budgets.”

Earlier this month Youth Fight for Jobs and Brighton Benefits Campaign supporters marched from Brighton job centre to Tesco to protest about what opponents call the workfare scheme.