WE fear Mr N Hillen's letter (December 8) will have left many of our members coughing and spluttering, if not sneezing.

Perhaps we can clarify a few facts?

First, we are not threatening to strike over the sickness scheme. We are only talking about refusing to co-operate with the scheme. Staff in Adult Services will continue to work normally otherwise.

Second, the dispute is not about sickness levels simply being "looked into". We've argued for years that the reasons should be looked into and addressed.

We know from our members that the primary reasons are exhaustion and stress due to gross overwork, due in turn to long-term understaffing with posts being left vacant.

The problem with the pilot scheme is that it uses a punitive approach. It assumes staff are "swinging the lead" and relies on pressurising and browbeating rather than getting to the root causes. This is deeply insulting to our members in Adult Services, skilled and dedicated professionals who have worked above and beyond the call of duty to keep services afloat through difficult times.

All we ask is that councillors stop bidding for headlines with macho rhetoric, and instead sit down with us calmly and discuss finding real solutions.

Ben Drake,

Branch Secretary,

York City UNISON,

Swinegate Court East,

York.

Updated: 09:06 Monday, December 12, 2005