Safety fears silence greetings in Welsh

[Guest guest]

It has long served as a polite, and apparently safe, greeting between Welsh speakers. But now health and safety concerns have stopped council telephone operators from greeting callers in Welsh. The language of heaven, it is argued, could damage their vocal cords. Union officials want to spare employees from greeting callers with “bore da” (good morning) and “prynhawn da” (good afternoon). The staff, they say, usually speak only in English and the extra greeting could damage their voice. Under the Welsh Language Act, government bodies are obliged to offer services in the language, and most councils and large companies answer calls in English and Welsh. But now Vale of Glamorgan council has barred the greeting. It says that its move complies with the Health and Safety Executive’s advice that call centre workers limit the amount of time that they spend on the telephone. But Welsh language speakers in the affluent and Anglicised area west of Cardiff are baffled. Steffan Williams, a Welsh-speaking Plaid Cymru councillor, condemned the ban as an infringement of human rights. He said: “I can’t see how saying ‘bore da’ will do people in a call centre any harm.” A spokesman for the Vale of Glamorgan council confirmed that staff have stopped answering in Welsh after their union had raised health and safety concerns.Peter H

 

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[Guest guest]

How daft - are they limited to a certain number of words in their teabreaks as well :-)

 

Jo

 

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peter VV

Tuesday, May 08, 2007 9:37 PM

Re: Safety fears silence greetings in Welsh

 

It has long served as a polite, and apparently safe, greeting between Welsh speakers.

But now health and safety concerns have stopped council telephone operators from greeting callers in Welsh. The language of heaven, it is argued, could damage their vocal cords.

Union officials want to spare employees from greeting callers with “bore da” (good morning) and “prynhawn da” (good afternoon). The staff, they say, usually speak only in English and the extra greeting could damage their voice.

Under the Welsh Language Act, government bodies are obliged to offer services in the language, and most councils and large companies answer calls in English and Welsh. But now Vale of Glamorgan council has barred the greeting. It says that its move complies with the Health and Safety Executive’s advice that call centre workers limit the amount of time that they spend on the telephone.

But Welsh language speakers in the affluent and Anglicised area west of Cardiff are baffled. Steffan Williams, a Welsh-speaking Plaid Cymru councillor, condemned the ban as an infringement of human rights. He said: “I can’t see how saying ‘bore da’ will do people in a call centre any harm.”

A spokesman for the Vale of Glamorgan council confirmed that staff have stopped answering in Welsh after their union had raised health and safety concerns.

Peter H

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Hi Peter

 

Is this an April Fools joke or something????

 

BB

Peter

 

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peter VV

Tuesday, May 08, 2007 9:37 PM

Re: Safety fears silence greetings in Welsh

 

It has long served as a polite, and apparently safe, greeting between Welsh speakers.

But now health and safety concerns have stopped council telephone operators from greeting callers in Welsh. The language of heaven, it is argued, could damage their vocal cords.

Union officials want to spare employees from greeting callers with “bore da” (good morning) and “prynhawn da” (good afternoon). The staff, they say, usually speak only in English and the extra greeting could damage their voice.

Under the Welsh Language Act, government bodies are obliged to offer services in the language, and most councils and large companies answer calls in English and Welsh. But now Vale of Glamorgan council has barred the greeting. It says that its move complies with the Health and Safety Executive’s advice that call centre workers limit the amount of time that they spend on the telephone.

But Welsh language speakers in the affluent and Anglicised area west of Cardiff are baffled. Steffan Williams, a Welsh-speaking Plaid Cymru councillor, condemned the ban as an infringement of human rights. He said: “I can’t see how saying ‘bore da’ will do people in a call centre any harm.”

A spokesman for the Vale of Glamorgan council confirmed that staff have stopped answering in Welsh after their union had raised health and safety concerns.

Peter H

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Sadly not, I thought it was a prank too, but alas its some misguided beurocracy gone mad........... The Valley Vegan.............metalscarab <metalscarab wrote: Hi Peter Is this an April Fools joke or something???? BB Peter - peter VV Tuesday, May 08, 2007 9:37 PM Re: Safety fears silence greetings in Welsh It has long served as a polite, and apparently safe, greeting between Welsh speakers. But now health and safety concerns have stopped council telephone operators from greeting callers in Welsh. The language of heaven, it is argued, could damage their vocal cords. Union officials want to spare

employees from greeting callers with “bore da” (good morning) and “prynhawn da” (good afternoon). The staff, they say, usually speak only in English and the extra greeting could damage their voice. Under the Welsh Language Act, government bodies are obliged to offer services in the language, and most councils and large companies answer calls in English and Welsh. But now Vale of Glamorgan council has barred the greeting. It says that its move complies with the Health and Safety Executive’s advice that call centre workers limit the amount of time that they spend on the telephone. But Welsh language speakers in the affluent and Anglicised area west of Cardiff are baffled. Steffan Williams, a Welsh-speaking Plaid Cymru councillor, condemned the ban as an infringement of human rights. He said: “I can’t see how saying ‘bore da’ will do people in a call centre any harm.” A spokesman

for the Vale of Glamorgan council confirmed that staff have stopped answering in Welsh after their union had raised health and safety concerns. Peter H Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Try it now. Peter H

 

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