Letter: Shropshire Council wants to cut my £12,500 annual wage

Letter: In response to "Change happens, get used to the fact" (Letters, July 11) I admire your wife for the work she does.

Like your wife I face the physical and emotional demands of caring for the vulnerable, incontinent and demented elderly. I also earn less than half of the average annual wage of £25,000 and I've not had a pay rise for two years. So we have quite a lot in common.

Unlike your wife I don't do my job in the relative safety of a care home but out in the community at all tim- es of day and night, week day or weekends, bank holidays.

I do pay into a pension scheme but I don't insist in retiring at 60. In fact to date I will have to work until I am at least 64 before I can benefit from this.

Who employs me? Shropshire Council. Yes I am one of those whingeing public sector workers. My grievance is nothing to do with my pension. It relates to the pay cut I am to take and the changes being made to my terms and conditions of work.

These are changes that are being forced upon me and my colleagues by an overpaid management team who have little or no idea of what it is like to be on the front line of services.

Like you again, I will sign myself as Name and Address supplied, only to secure my job until I have found an employer who values my work and is prepared to reward me accordingly.

Name and address supplied