Alien concept of bonus culture should be done away with

REGARDING the Prime Minister’s speech on social responsibility and bonuses (Yorkshire Post, January 20), I left school at 16 and worked in a factory. No bonuses there.

Then I had to do National Service. Some official bullying but no bonuses.

After that I taught in schools, colleges and universities. No bonuses.

When I was 40, with others, I set up an arts/communications co-operative. For years we put money into the venture to keep it going and gave a lot of unpaid advice but never took extra pay.

In my early 50s, I went freelance and ran innovative businesses. No bonuses there. At 75, I am entering a new phase and using my pensions, wit and bus pass to keep working at what interests me and excites my curiosity.

The idea of a bonus is alien to most people but not to Mr Cameron. Instead of limiting bonuses, he should slice through the concept altogether.

From: George Appleby, Clifton, York.

DAVID Cameron has plans for dealing with “moral markets”. Words, words, words.

Fast action is what this demands but you won’t get that from this lot. They will potter with the peripheral and wrap it up in more and more words to make you think they are actually helping you.

They have already have more than enough time to do something. It’s part of a bigger picture you have to consider.

Money devalues constantly and the way we are now, at the bottom of the trough and falling fast through a hole at the bottom, you need to put your money where it has the best chance of keeping afloat for later life.

That is not with private banks, unless you are a gambler. They lose it for you and stay immune themselves from the consequences. And don’t go to your MPs to help you in this. They are under the thumb of the banks.

From: Malcolm Naylor, Otley.

THERE are many groups in society that are suffering as a consequence of the capitalist engineered austerity but the rich is not one of them.

They continue to exploit and enjoy the fruits of other peoples labour without restriction.

However, one group that is suffering stoically in silence are pensioners.

German pensioners are given three times more pension than their British counterparts demonstrating the value placed on their war service by its republican government. In contrast, here in monarchist UK, veterans are thrown on the scrap heap while an over-privileged monarchy is rewarded with the prospect of a new Royal Yacht and an extravagant Jubilee celebration.

From: H Marjorie Gill, Clarence Drive, Menston.

NICK Clegg say he likes the idea of the John Lewis partnership, where workers are also shareholders, applying to other businesses. This is a very good idea and I feel that it should be applied to other public services businesses, such as the NHS and the railway industry.