SHOULDN’T the tradesman who earned the big bonus be congratulated?

He didn’t get his bonus by sitting behind a desk for 37 hours pushing papers around; he earned it by hard graft.

He would have been doing about 25 hours extra a week.

I was a Building Services employee and I know how hard it is to get the top bonus. He was doing the same amount of work as at least two men, which would equate to him doing over 124 hours a week.

When you look at the amount of tax Mr Brown would have raked in, shouldn’t the tradesman be given an award or honoured for his gargantuan effort?

The only slight criticism I have is, if there was that much overtime available shouldn’t extra staff have been set on?

JOHN R ELLAM

Dalton

Wages too high

I WAS appalled to read of the wages and bonuses being paid to the plasterer employed by Kirklees Council.

There are many hard working people who have to settle for mediocre wages, both in and out of the building industry.

Have the people at Kirklees no idea whatsoever what is going on in the world today and how families are having to struggle to make ends meet, due to job losses and increases in energy bills and council tax?

It seems to be yet another example of irresponsible management by people who have more money at their disposal than sense and, if it were their own money, they certainly would not be paying these ridiculously high wages.

Instead, all we get are a list of pathetic excuses for why they have to pay them.

All we seem to hear about these days is how people in public office misuse and mis-spend taxpayers’ hard earned money.

I, like many others, feel very angry and disappointed when I read articles like this.

I would like to think that there is light at the end of the tunnel for all the hard working people out there, but I am doubtful.

RiCHARD HORSFALL

Honley

Bonus shake-up needed

THIS week’s news that Kirklees Council was in 2007/8 the most profligate bonus payer of any local authority in Britain, other than Birmingham, surely merits a local enquiry and some prompt remedial action?

While political control of Kirklees has changed this year, the senior management remains the same, but it seems timely to review their excessively expensive administration.

Why should Kirklees spend £3million annually on bonuses for builders and £1 million on bonuses for grounds maintenance?

Why does Kirklees spend more on such bonuses than nearby Bradford, which is much bigger than Kirklees?

With ‘single status’ employment contracts, why is a plasterer paid £60,000 annually, more than some head teachers?

Why are nearly 1,000 manual workers eligible for bonuses, when thousands of professional staff in schools and child protection are not?

Financial accountability locally seems to be breaking down when we have to rely on More4News to publish such largesse, rather than highly paid Kirklees senior managers.Kirklees might be a top-rated four-star council, but it’s surely time for a shake up before it becomes the next RBS.

KENN WINTER

Lindley

Public need answers

IN the debate over the future of Huddersfield's Tourist Information Centre, what worries me most is the number of unanswered questions.

So far, I am unconvinced that the proposed alternatives will provide the same standard of service as the present facilities.

In principle, I don’t object to ticketing being relocated to the town hall, as I tend to book tickets by phone and collect them from the town hall box office.

However, will the town hall box office act as a booking agency for regional theatres and concert halls as the TIC does now?

Will it keep the same wide range of information leaflets on regional arts events, a service which I find invaluable?

The moving of the other services to the library raises other questions. Quite apart from the problem of disabled access, which is complicated and inconvenient, where exactly in the library will the services be relocated to?

Will they have a spacious room to themselves, with plenty of space for displaying posters, leaflets, maps, souvenirs?

Or will they be crammed into the information booth in the entrance lobby? If the latter is the case, visitors will infer that the town isn’t really interested in them and they won’t come back.

That would be a disaster, as in these tough economic times, Huddersfield needs all the visitors it can get.

So, Clr Stanfield, please can we have some answers? You will doubtless be criticised whatever you say – but you will be criticised even more strongly if you say nothing, so you and the council might as well come clean.

WILLIAM A KIRBY

Netherton

Joe Public fighting back

SO the protesters have been out on the streets during the G20 summit in London.

All I can say about it is that it darn well serves the Government and the greedy bankers right.

For years the ordinary Joe Public have been pushed down the poverty ladder for far too long, while MPs, bankers have been raking in so much dosh it makes your head spin.

Like the saying goes, “You can only put folk so far down then, when enough is enough, they’ll get up and start fighting.”

Even our councillors are giving themselves a pay rise, when at the same time many working folk are having their wages cut along with hours. Stinks, does it not?

After the recent stories on MPs’ expenses, I hope folk will get up and demand a big overhaul of the system.

MIKE WARREN-MADDEN

Crackpot Cottage

Thank you to hospital

MY gentleman friend Trevor Robinson was taken into Huddersfield Royal Infirmary Accident and Emergency on March 21 by two ambulance men, who we can’t thank enough.

They were absolutely brilliant. When we arrived at the hospital, the staff there could not do enough for Trevor.

Through your paper, myself and Trevor’s family would like to pass on our thanks to the staff at the hospital.

S ILVESY

Longwood

Disappointed fan

IF, as Lee Clarke pronounces, ‘I want to build a youthful side here at Huddersfield Town’, then why does he send Joe Skarz to Hartlepool and leave James Berrett high and dry on the demoralising subs bench?

There’s little to play for in the remaining matches so why not bed these boys in well and truly now?

Poor Gerry Murphy must be sitting at home, eating his heart out to see his protégés of many years nurturing and on the verge of blossoming being treated in this ruthless way.

Indeed if the rumour mill is to be believed, then beloved Andy Holdsworth may be reaching a HTFC crossroads.

It’s all so utterly disheartening and disappointing.

BILL WRIGHT

Holmfirth

Expenses overhaul

LIKE many others, I am appalled by the way MPs abuse their expenses system – which they defined and approved!

Each revelation diminishes the respect we have for the individual concerned. It diminishes our democracy.

I suggest the following as a way of eliminating the fiasco of the second house in London for MPs.

Let the MPs define a standard accommodation unit they would need to have for a short overnight stay near Westminster.

Then build a block of this accommodation near to Westminster sufficient to accommodate all MPs who at any time stay overnight.

However, the accommodation units would be run like a hotel and be bookable. There would not be a charge to an MP using these units, they would only be able to claim for travel expenses and any legitimate extras they might chose to have.

The number of nights each MP used this accommodation would be in the public domain and would indicate their dedication and application to the task of running the affairs of the country.

I realise that certain high-ranking members of the Government already have free accommodation in London.

Perhaps I am just suggesting it should be the same for all MPs.

ALAN WILLINGTON

Lindley