So Councillor Jan Leigh thinks there is nothing in the council's proposals to use agency staff for all new homecare work to warrant a one-day strike.

According to her, this is because home helpers will not suffer in any way. Perhaps they will not, but they know that in the long run their clients will.

I suspect the councillors who have supported these proposals have not had personal experience of needing homecare.

They do not understand what it means to clients to have to face frequent changes of visiting staff especially for services of an intimate nature.

Those of us who have experience of care services appreciate the commitment of council staff compared with the majority of agency staff, who choose to work for an agency for higher wages and flexible working hours.

No doubt the council will set standards and monitor statistics but there is no measuring device for judging commitment, empathy and quality of service.

It is sad the council does not recognise the worth of its own staff.

EDNA WARD

Address supplied

December 5, 2001 17:00