A UNION for the unemployed is planning a class action against the Federal Government, claiming new laws docking dole payments are an affront to natural justice.

The Australian Unemployed Workers Union (AUWU) is calling on its 2000 members and other jobless people to come forward with tales of mistreatment by job agencies and during Work for the Dole activities.

AUWU founder and president Owen Bennett said it was imperative to challenge the “whole nature of the compliance system” before even stronger penalties came in to take Australia to the “brink of some type of social disaster”.

NEWSTART: Senate inquiry approves youth dole changes

New rules that started in July allow payments to be paused for dole claimants if they do not turn up to a job service appointment without a valid excuse.

Stronger laws are before the Senate that would suspend Newstart for people who refuse a suitable job offer, will not enter an Employment Pathway Plan, behave inappropriately during a job services appointment, or refuse to attend other required appointments.

They would also suspend payments to those who fail to look for work, with back pay available if they start.

But Mr Bennett, who has been on either Youth Allowance or Newstart since finishing school six years ago and is currently on a break from a PhD in History, said people were being docked on the word of job agencies before they had a right to appeal.

He said one member had been docked for listening to music at his computer during Work for the Dole activities and the case would form part of a planned class action.

A Department of Employment spokeswoman denied employment providers were making the decisions, saying the department investigated reports from job services.