TO all Borough Care Service staff. It will soon be our anniversary. This month we will have been fighting the council for one whole year. What has our efforts achieved?

Wigan likes to call itself the 'Caring Borough' - don't you believe it.

They don't care about dedicated staff in these homes, some with more than 20 years service. They don't care that these low paid, part-time mainly female workers are going to lose as much as £40 per week.

They don't care that dedicated staff, that have always been loyal and hard working, are now seeking employment elsewhere for fear of losing £40 a week from their wage packet. This wage is the sole income for many of us. We are not working for pocket money - every penny earned is spoken for.

But the council doesn't care.

They don't care about the residents in these homes - some having lived in their home for as long as these dedicated staff and where a comfortable, secure family relationship has formed.

But the council doesn't care.

They have threatened to close homes and place these elderly people in to private homes if we do not take these drastic cuts. What say have the old people had? Do you think they want to be taken from their homes to be placed in another strange place? At their age I don't think that a fair option.

But the council doesn't care.

They keep telling us we have no money, but they found £2 million for Haigh Hall golf course lighting. All we asked for was £1.2 million, but it seems that a round of golf is more important than the upkeep of 14 old peoples homes.

Is this caring?

Dedicated Care Worker

(name and address supplied)

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