Dear Sir,
I was delighted to read Warren Saunders’s letter in last week’s Newton News. I have for months been saying that this government is stealing our human rights, purposely trying to reduce us to the position of workers in eastern Europe.
Recruitment Agencies are only one aspect of an onslaught which includes workfare, zero-hours contacts, attacks on the Unions, a move to short- and part-time contracts, and a high rate of unemployment.
Moreover, I agree absolutely that foodbanks are a shame on this government, which – as I have again tried to get people to agree – is openly waging a propaganda war against the needy, and trying to alter our social security safety net from a citizen’s right to a charity hand-out.
To a degree, like many people reduced to despair and fury, he lashes out at the wrong people, and about the wrong issues.
Local politicians are an obvious target, but we are not the enemy – you can see for yourself on my facebook blog at www.bit.ly/JDClare what I am doing day-by-day to try to thwart this Tory government’s regressive policies.
The misnamed ‘clothing allowance’ is an incorrect target too. It is not for clothes – it is an allowance to fund the civic expenditure of the Chair and Deputy Chair of the County Council. At a time when we are desperately trying to attract industry and enterprise, surely we need some sort of civic presence? The County Council has amalgamated the roles of Chair of the County Council and Mayor of Durham City, and has set up a cross-party investigative committee, to seek ways to reduce civic costs.
I also challenge Mr Saunders’s accusation about Council absenteeism. It is true that public sector absence runs higher than the private sector, but this is not because public sector workers are ‘wastrels’ – in this, Mr Saunders falls into the Tory trap and goes to war against his fellow-workers, instead of attacking the real enemy. The public sector tends to give more full-time, long-term contracts and a higher absence rate is a consequence.  What kind of world does Mr Saunders want – one where all workers lack sickness rights and have to drag themselves in poorly, as agency workers do?  He attacks recruitment agencies for such neglect of workers’ rights, but then chastises the Council which is, I am proud to say, generally a good employer.
At least Mr Saunders has got angry enough to shout – I wish there were more like him. But we need to direct our attention, and our anger, at the Tories.
John D Clare