FED: Govt under pressure for yet more Job Network changes

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-1998
FED: Govt under pressure for yet more Job Network changes

CANBERRA, Dec 17 AAP - The federal government has come under pressure to make yet more
changes to its Job Network, just one day after it announced a major overhaul.

The government has outlined a second revamp of the privatised job system, announcing a $100
million makeover.

Under the changes, unemployed people will have their dole payments docked unless they
register with a private job agency under new measures designed to shore up the troubled Job
Network.

But the opposition and Australian Democrats are calling for further changes.

Opposition employment spokesman Martin Ferguson said the Job Network has had two patch-ups
in eight months and more would be needed to make the system work.

"It will need a third patch-up early in the next tender round if the network is to provide
real choice and competition among job agencies," he said.

But the government has received the backing of the jobs providers organisation, the
National Employment Services Association (NESA).

It said the changes would go a long way to addressing the problems encountered in the Job
Networks first year.

Under the changes, any unemployed person who refused to register could lose up to 18
per cent of their unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks.

And job agencies will receive an extra $100 for every person placed into a job while
agencies will receive a $45 bonus for jobs found in rural Australia.

The overhaul came only eight months after the Job Network was launched and followed
teething problems which threatened the viability of up to 50 smaller agencies throughout
Australia.

AAP rmm/jnb/de

KEYWORD: EMPLOYMENT DAYLEAD

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