DEL schemesdon’t breachslavery laws

The Minister said such schemes were classed as training rather than employment and, as such, the minimum wage need not apply.

He said all Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) subsidised employment schemes did pay the minimum wage. Thus DEL is not in breach of slavery and human rights legislation.

The Minister was asked “which legislation prohibits the provision of funded training for unemployed people over the age of 58 years; and whether all his Department’s schemes for unemployed people pay at least the National Minimum Wage and are not in breach of the Human Rights Act and the Abolition of Slavery Act.”

He replied: “There is no legislation prohibiting the provision of funded training by my Department for unemployed people over the age of 58 years. In circumstances where schemes funded by my Department are waged, that is where participants are engaged in subsidized employment, the National Minimum Wage is payable.

“All other schemes for unemployed people are regarded as training schemes, that is, participants are engaged in training rather than in employment. These arrangements are not in breach of the Human Rights Act or the Abolition of Slavery Act.”