Letter: Of councils, diversity and equality...

Letter: Councillor Liz Parsons's letter (November 8) defending the Shropshire Council's employment of a diversity officer illustrates perfectly the attitude of local government towards the cost of employing extra staff. (Read the letter here.)

As soon as a new duty is imposed on the organisation, councils rush to appoint an officer to ensure other employees carry out the new work. It means new bosses do not have to worry about understanding the government imposed requirement.

Councillors and directors have someone to identify as responsible. Everyone is happy - although what the creation of these staff jobs does to line management responsibilities is never considered.

On the other hand a commercial organisation is likely either to trust employees to carry out their duties conscientiously - under the supervision of their bosses - or they might ask someone else to run the new job in with their current duties.

It is only in public sector where a new job can be so easily created - normally secure in the knowledge that taxpayers will provide the funding. Is it any surprise that the public sector has become so bloated and so unaffordable?

No-one disputes the need to treat people fairly. The question is can this be done without someone extra checking on fellow employees.

Our "Champion for Equality and Diversity" is prepared to sacrifice front line services rather than lose the full time paid diversity officer.

Perhaps she would like to tell us which frontline service job, or jobs, should go?

Peter Dunham

Shrewsbury