www.unemployedembassy.org has now "under construction" ie still blocked of our previous content, after the foreign webmaster of that domain name has no answered our second message to them about how we can pay for it to continue. We have no creditor debit card and we don't know how much exactly in $A they want (they say USD 11 plus) for the Domain name rental - or whatever the cheque we're offering to send - would actualy be for. Wenow at least know where to send a cheque to them. However our most recent message got us access back to Magix online web maker - so we can now see and update the website that is now offline or blocked. Maybe we can also update the current website shown below - which has been frozden for months now. The ads on these sites are nothing to do with us by the way - someone is making money from them though. Our postal address is in the Sydney Yellow Pages - if anyone wants to contact us with information or with some support for our registered non profit organisation. Our other cool mini website is still be up - and has a contact page, where you can send us an email http://unemployedembassy.magix.net
A more sinister event was an attempt, shown in google listings of the "dole news" search name, to block our first published DOLE NEWS blog at: http://unemployedpeoplesembassy.blogspot.com. (NOTE: it looks now like our other newer editions of Dole News are also being blocked in the google "dole news" listing- though some of them can be found by adding unemployedpeoplesembassy to the search).
We are now trying a new address of dolensw.blogspot.com.au
MIDDLE AGED MALE BATTLES NEW TAFE DISCRIMINATION AFTER HUGE DEBT ! !
The above edition first exposed the story of the middle aged Sydney man being fined nearly $18,000 by Centrelink for studying full time at TAFE in 2010 and 2011. He had had to return to St George TAFE in 2010 to complete his Diploma in case management, when the workplace learning teacher couldn't find him a placement to complete during the 2009 academic year, (because she found most of the organisations she approached said "we usually get a female"). The stress involved led to a sudden increase in his blood pressure readings in early 2010, after he had to leave an unsuitable and abusive "placement" over the Xmas holidays - where he ran out of Austudy payments in the new year
Soon after he complained formally in 2011 to St George TAFE , (who admitted the female preference statement), Centrelink came after him, just as he was completing a Youth Work cert 4 course at Ultimo TAFE (including a placement) - claiming they had information from St George TAFE that he'd only been studying 5 hours a week and that they didn't know about his 2011 course. The Brisbane based, Centrelink Authorised Review Officer, then claimed that they didn't count hours of students doing placements as study hours. He had sent them ample documents by their 15 December 2011 deadline, from the twoTAFE colleges' head teachers and official signed "enrollment advice" forms (showing 20 hours a week of studies) - to prove he was studying full time, He is now struggling to mount an appeal to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal, with the Welfare Rights Centre refusing to represent him (saying he can do it himself). The added stress put him on high medication for his hypertension (first emerging in early 2010) from early 2012 - when it became dangerous.
In this DOLE NEWS blog, he writes about how his experiences of discrimination against him in every course he has done with TAFE since 2005 - climaxed this year with him being excluded from "group work" in a class (made up almost entirely of much younger females) where groups run programs with youth at local youth centres. The teacher ignored his pleas. through emails, to ensure he would be included in a group doing an non active sports activity that he could participate in (given his diagnosed lower back problem). Head Teachers also ignored his pleas for the reacher tom intervene in student group formation, and ensure he could participate in a group doing a non active sports project. He has proof of this interview with the head teachers, since he taped, with their tacid permission. The Ultimo TAFE Director has not responded by email to his formal complaint about the discrimination, made on 30 March.
He has received advice from a discrimination law specialist at Redfern Legal Centre, that he has a case for complain to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board and the federal Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (which now has new funding for an Ageing Discrimination Commissioner). Now he is on the dole, with a Centrelink psychologist in May 2012, giving him a 6 months exemption from having to sign up with the "Job Network" because of his hypertension issue and documented stresses from Centrelink and Ultimo TAFE - as he tries to prepare his appeal against the unfair Centrelink debt due in late July. To try and acheive this "deadline", though he can withdraw and later reinstate the appeal, he is delaying further complain further about discrimination by both TAFE colleges. Later he hopes to try to restore his health by concentrating on exercise and a return to his recognised community arts and media arts volunteer projects.
The SSAT eventually gave him a month's extension from the June deadline they set on the hearing. He only got the extensive "papers:" from Centrelink - through them, a week before the proposed hearing. He is hopingbto get them sent to the Welfare Rights Centre for their legal interpretation, as he is still too stressed by the unfair actions by enttelink and Ultimo TAFE, to look at them himself. His GP continues to monitor his hypertension, after it was found to be increasing again in June - despite months of high medication. He is also battling a long lingering throat couch and sudden bouts of flu.
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