believe Roger Bannister is correct in his suspicion that the recent "flu epidemic" has been made considerably worse by people "struggling on" and going to work ill, when they should have been at home recuperating, because they feared for their jobs if they took time off. (BEN January 21).

I can't identify my place of work, or even the job that I do, for fear of this same victimisation, but I had flu in December and had to battle on regardless - because if I don't work, I don't get paid. Like Roger, when I return to work, I am interrogated about my absence - on one famous occasion I was given a verbal warning about my lack of attendance, because by being off ill, I set a poor example for junior staff.

However, because I neglected my health six weeks ago, I have just been forced to take a week off work, because the lingering infection turned to bronchitis. So, I'm £250 poorer, and I'm dreading what is going to be said to me when I return to work.

This is the true legacy of 'the market' to which Tony Blair and New Labour are so committed; the worker ceases to be a human being, but is merely a number on a pay roll, who is expendable and readily replaceable. The sooner we get some legislation to protect workers who are genuinely ill and even things up between employer and employee the better.

(name and address supplied)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.