Madam,

I consider it imperative to address the question of unlawful discrimination within the ‘public sector’.

You carried an article headed Public sector staff ‘must speak Welsh’. Why?

What is the rationale behind such an absurd statement? We are merely pandering to yet another extremist group, in this case Cymdeithas yr Iaith. In this case they are attempting to impose their extremist views upon a passive populace, the silent majority of Welsh and English residents.

The reality is that a significant proportion of the indigenous Welsh community do not speak Welsh, and even more cannot read or write it.

I have friends in the Welsh community who have English as their first language, albeit with a Welsh accent.

Wales is inhabited by a conglomerate of English, to a lesser degree Scottish and primarily-Welsh indigenous peoples. Some speak Welsh as their first language, many more can speak Welsh if they chose, but probably the majority, including non-indigenous people, do not speak Welsh at all; it is not an easy language to learn.

I am fully in favour of the use of the Welsh language, but like religion and politics it is essential in a democratic country that there is individual freedom of choice.

The extremist views of Cymdeithas yr Iaith may suit their objectives but in truth are discriminatory and are not of benefit to the wider community of Wales.

Without the non-indigenous employees, or indeed the English-speaking Welsh, within the public and private sector the economy and structure of Wales would collapse.

Employees across the board who are extremely good at their chosen profession would be discriminated against in areas of career advancement and indeed job selection. In any other circumstance that same body would be shouting from the rooftops condemning such discrimination.

Yours etc,

Allan Phillips, New Quay.

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