I AM writing to bring your attention to the “Dying to Work” campaign which is running to ensure that people with terminal illness are treated fairly at work.

Readers may know that the Equality Act provides protections against discriminatory treatment based on the concept of ‘Protected Characteristics.’ However, currently workers with a terminal illness are not classified as having a Protected Characteristic. This means they have very limited legal protection against employers dismissing them due to illness.

Unfortunately, this means that employers are therefore free to dismiss terminally ill workers once they have made ‘reasonable adjustments’ to the employee’s job to assist with the illness.

I am sure that your readers would agree with me that the last thing a terminally ill worker would need at the same time as facing up to a terminal illness is to have to fight for the right to continue working and not to face the indignity of being sacked.

Anthony Lockhart, Unison Secretary, St Helens & Knowsley Health Branch