While I am sympathetic with Mr Plumb's and the WWDC refuse collectors' complaints (Wiltshire Times, November 3), as a council tax payer I am interested in getting best value from council services, not preserving council employees' jobs at any price.
If it is possible for the council to use a contractor to provide these services to me at lower cost than doing it itself, than I for one, will wholeheartedly support it.
Mr Plumb says that he is worried about his members' terms and conditions. I believe that this is a bit of a red herring, as I understand that under TUPE and TURER the new contractor has a legal requirement to provide proper employment and retain existing employment rights for the employees of the service that it takes over.
Mr Plumb forgets that as council tax payers we are all "shareholders" in the services provided by the council and, as such, the council has a duty to spend our money wisely. We live in a free market and should not object to companies making profits if they can provide a better service at lower cost. How else can they invest in the services that they are running?
The 1999 Local Government Act requires councils to deliver the quality of service that local people expect at a price that they are willing to pay. And I, for one, am not willing to pay any more.
Malcolm Rosier,
Wingfield Road,
Trowbridge.
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