Letter: Right to work

Ewan MacDonald (Comment, 25 August) concludes that work is good for you. Therefore, it should be available to all; in other words, there should be a right to work.

Over the centuries the state and large enterprises have accumulated power, reducing that of the individual. If not employed by either of these, the citizen is unable to look after him or herself.

Self-employment hovers between the state and large enterprises, but traditional means of sustenance are no longer available.

The hewing of wood and drawing of water are not now possible, nor are subsistence farming, hunting and fishing.

The unemployed, therefore, are captives of the state and rely on its charity.

However, if we all had a right to work this could cease. The improvement in health from regular hours, useful activity and earned reward would be large.

This would be an opportunity for the NHS to concentrate on good diet, healthy regime and hygiene in the home and workplace, while a greatly reduced emergency service would occupy hospitals for the rump of accidents and unavoidable ailments.

Our education system would also change to being an "open service", where those who need or wish education or training could go in and out throughout their lives, as their work or circumstances dictated.

Iain WD Forde

Causewayend Main Street

Scotlandwell, Kinross-shire