Labour market reform

Sir -  Again John Cridland (CBI) is trying to destroy the UK with is hairbrained ideas, calling for a more flexible UK workforce. How does he think the low paid flexible labour market can buy or rent when they are employed as and when required?

Which bank would give an employment agency worker a mortgage (none). Cridland is championing scrapping the mininum wage and scrapping employment rights.

The top 8% moneymen in the UK have seen their money grow to 36% since Tthatcher sold off industries which didn't belong to her, while the rest suffer.

Now people's wages don't cover everyday living, which leaves nothing to spend on the economy and small businesses take the brunt and are the first to fold.

Let's say 10 million are on mininum wage. That leaves the British taxpayer to subisdise 10 million low paid workers with tax credits on an average £100 per week.

Why don't we raise the mininum wage to £10 per hour and scrap working tax credit and introduce a business tax credit?

For example if a small business (cafe) based on last year's profit can't afford to employ workers £10p/h then the goverment should subsidise the business directly. This would stop employment agents taking £10p/h off the business and passing on £6.00p/h to the employee and leaving the taxpayer to pick up the bill.

Around £50 billion would be saved in the first year alone. This would stop employment agents stealing low paid workers wages and that in turn would get people spending because they have more money in their pockest and wouldn't need handouts from the state.

Michael Conlon, School Walk, Maltby.