A REBEL councillor ignored a plea to "be a man and say you are sorry" over remarks he made about council staff taking "sickies."

Instead, Coun Harry Brooks moved a resolution calling for Burnley Council's chief executive to carry out an inquiry into the reasons why the authority had significantly more employee sickness than the majority of other councils.

The council last night agreed by 30 votes to three a motion by Coun Andrew Holder strongly deploring the "outrageous and degrading remarks" made by Coun Brooks regarding people who suffer from stress and calling on Coun Brooks to apologise.

Coun Holder said Coun Brooks' remarks had come over in a sexist manner - Coun Brooks had pointed out that 19 our of 20 staff off work were women - and said he should have the bottle to apologise.

Coun Anthony Lambert described Coun Brooks' attack on council staff as cowardly and disgraceful.

Coun Alice Thornber said council staff had the right to be treated with dignity not public humiliation. His comments were unfounded , insulting and derogatory. She told Coun Brooks: "Be a man and say you are sorry."

Personnel committee chairman Pat Bennett said sickness/absence policies were being reviewed. Numbers off work had reduced slightly and all Coun Brooks had done was to lower morale.

Coun Mozaquir Ali said decency dictated an apology and council leader Stuart Caddy described Coun Brooks' comments as absolutely deplorable.

Deputy Mayor Eric Selby asked: "Where does stress come from?"

He pointed at Coun Brooks adding: "If you are not man enough to apologise for upsetting the people who are dedicated to this council you are not good enough to sit in that chair."

After other councillors added their criticism Coun Brooks said: "We have excellent officers and I have respect for them. But I don't have respect for the lead swingers and we have far too many of them. I am telling the truth and the truth hurts."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.