Letters: Remploy job losses appear easier when done bit by bit

I am of the age group that left school without any pieces of paper and have worked all my life, (18+ years prior to Remploy). I became employed at Remploy due to long term health problems which, unfortunately, have left some issues that require to be managed. One of my main issues is that I now cannot deal with certain situations and I end up becoming very stressed/anxious.

I have much to offer an employer – I am conscientious, have good time keeping, I’m reliable and give my all to get the job done. The time I have had with employers speaks for itself. Unfortunately, due to my anxiety I may not be able to show my ability, confidence etc at any interview that I may be fortunate enough to get.

Remploy has suffered at the hands of mis-management both by Remploy and The Government. What angers those who are currently being made redundant is that over the last four to five years a programme of voluntary redundancy was introduced to make long term savings. Shortly after the first round was completed a second round was introduced. Also at this time other actions were taken “to make savings and save jobs”. The Edinburgh factory was reduced from three industrial units down to one. The “promise” at the time was that these actions (VRs and cuts) would save the remaining jobs. The 28 people now left at Edinburgh didn’t jump ship and run with the £s, they stayed on to do “a day’s work for a day’s wage”, to have pride in themselves and to pay their way. And look how they have been repaid!

Edinburgh is now closing. Others will follow. Announcements by the government of 28 now, or a few hundred here and there, now and again, sounds a lot less harsh and an easier tablet to swallow than announcing thousands at once.

The disabled people at Remploy Edinburgh and all other Remploy factories are  faceless people, numbers on paper – which allow the MPs, MSPs, Remploy Management and all others concerned to sleep easy at night.

Something many of the redundant Remploy staff will find hard to do.

Name and address supplied

Labour closer to Murdoch than SNP

Jenny Gill (Letters, September 28) is completely wrong when she claims that after independence a Scottish government would block the BBC. If anyone was going to do this it would be a Tory or Labour government in London.

Labour’s obsession with Alex Salmond and Rupert Murdoch is becoming farcical and last week a Glasgow Labour MP disgracefully linked Alex Salmond with the Hillsborough disaster.

It’s time Labour supporters grew up, particularly as Ed Miliband’s dealings with Murdoch are more frequent and much closer and he proudly told readers of The Sun that they would first hear about Labour’s policies there.

Also Ed Miliband’s main spin doctor is Tom Baldwin, a former Murdoch journalist whom it is claimed “outed” Dr David Kelly for exposing Tony Blair’s lies over going to war in Iraq and which led to David Kelly’s suicide.

Fraser Grant, Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh

Means testing policy signals end

Ian Swanson (News, September 27) asks if Johann Lamont’s plans for Labour to adopt Conservative style expensive and bureaucratic “means testing” is political suicide?

As Scotland receives 9.3 per cent of UK spending but contributes 9.6 per cent of all UK tax revenues, it is nonsense to suggest that free services and benefits cannot be afforded here.

It is a political choice and by moving Labour in Scotland back to Tony Blair’s New Labour agenda, Johann Lamont has signalled the end of Labour in Scotland as a socially progressive party and independence is now the only way to escape the London view that there is no such thing as society.

Mary Thomas, Watson Crescent, Edinburgh

If you want it tidy, tidy it yourself

I agree with Robert Dow’s comments (Letters, October 1) about people picking up litter. If people want a clean city, they should make it so themselves.

I have a similar arrangement with my husband. I am a messy person and don’t mind living in a muddle. My husband likes a bit of order. Therefore he tidies up. The same should apply to litter in parks.

Fiona Abbot, Kirkcaldy