I WHOLEHEARTEDLY support the staff of Haxby Hall in their stance against fire and rehire only months after being transferred from City of York Council to Yorkare’s employment.

These are the people on the frontline caring for those with dementia as well as supporting many elderly York residents in what Yorkare describes as a luxury care home in development.

It is a cynical move by the operator who either always fully intended to target staff for poorer conditions, despite the law on transfers of staff, or much less likely, got its sums all wrong when agreeing to take over running the facility.

We cannot continue to accept that people should undertake valued work without being paid in a way that allows them to fully support themselves. It is all the more alarming that the Liberal Democrat led council took this decision with the knowledge of what was about to happen, at a time when it had added to senior management in the council.

The care system is broken, with not enough appetite from the Government to support it.

But the council has its choices too and has, sadly, been complicit in the targeting of low paid care workers at Haxby Hall.

Cllr Janet Looker,

Labour spokesperson for adult social care,

Clifton Dale,

York.