I WOULD like to add some comments to the recent article that has appeared in the Bolton Evening News about sickness within the council.

Whilst I do agree something needs to be done if sickness is so high I think it is rather unfair to bring in Big Brother to spy and keep watch on council workers.

I am a council worker with a small sick record but I find that sometimes I am surrounded by sick people in my job based in the contact centre, WHY? Because people who are sick whether it be a cold, sore throat or mild flu struggle to come into work because of these kind of rules in order to ensure they do not get disciplined in their job.

Everyone knows coughs and sneezes spread diseases and if one worker comes in sick then others are going to be catching it at some point and it goes around the contact centre perhaps several times over.

I think introducing Big Brother to keep watch on people who are off sick is not only down right ignorant, but it shows the council does not respect their employees and there is no trust. I also think it is a breach of human rights!

Perhaps Councillor Ronson would like to pop down to the contact centre to meet some of the sick people in work because I'll guarantee you'll come across one person there who should have stayed at home in bed.

There is another answer to this and that is not to pay for the first three days of sickness unless a sick note is produced.

Name and address supplied