I read in The Press that yet again City of York Council staff sickness rates have increased despite £180,000 being spent trying to reduce them (Staff sick days at York council, rise again, June 22). This comes as no surprise.

When Andrea Dudding, the Unison secretary in York, says that the council has not really got to grips with the problem or its underlying causes never were her words more accurate. Does the council ever get to grips with any problem?

It’s a shame that council expenditure cannot for once be directed to a cause such as funding a dedicated team of staff in its public protection unit to deal with the out-of-town taxi problem. It might have more chance of success in dealing with this than in continually throwing money at the unsolvable problem that increasing staff sickness levels has now become.

Peter Boulton,

Orchard Gardens,

Huntington, York