As former and retired members of Labour party staff, we object in the strongest possible terms to the way in which current party staff are being publicly attacked by some senior members and their supporters. Labour party staff are hard-working, dedicated individuals committed to the party and its objectives. They work long hours and are often required to spend weeks or even months away from home on particular campaigns. Some are on limited-term contracts with little job security. The nature of these jobs means that they are often required to implement unpopular or difficult national decisions in an organisation that is almost entirely voluntary and in which different views and opinions are strongly held.

Despite this, staff remain completely loyal to the party and to their employers, and the least they are entitled to expect is some loyalty and respect in return. To hear members of the Labour party attack their own employees is depressing; to hear talk about “clearing them out” is unacceptable; to hear such statements from the most senior level is intolerable. We call on all party members, whatever their view or role in the leadership election, to treat their staff as they themselves would expect to be treated by their own employers. Campaigning for the rights of working people is exactly what the Labour party should be doing and that includes the rights of the people we ourselves employ. We were proud to work for the Labour party, and we are equally proud of those who have followed us. They deserve better than to be publicly attacked and undermined.

Nan Sloan, Howard Knight, Arlene Ainsley, Giampi Alhadeff, Lauren Allpress, Harriet Anderson, Martin Angus, Jessica Asato, Andy Bagnall, Olivia Bailey, David Baines, Anne Baldwin, James Barge, Matthew Beevor, Julian Bell, Neil Bendle, Marcus Bernasconi, Gary Booth, Maureen Bosch, Christine Brazil, Alf Brewer, Phillip Brightmore, Seph Brown, Iain Bundred, Debbie Caine, Alastair Campbell, Calum Campbell, Jonathon Carr-Brown, Joshua Carrington, Tim Carter, Simon Christopher-Chambers, Andrew Clark, Nita Clarke, Peter Coleman, Lord Collins of Highbury, Paul Comer, Edward Crask, Julie Crowley, Joseph Dancey, Matt Daniel, Amanda Delew, Aline Delawa, Sally Dobson, Mary Doherty, Matthew Doyle, Richard Elsen, David Evans, Siobhán Feasey, Katie Foster, Amy Fowler, Felicity Fuller, David Gardner, Kate Garvey, Jennifer Gerber, Andrea Gordon, Fiona Gordon, Baroness Joyce Gould, David Green, Jolyon Green, Julie Grimble, Farzana Hakim, Anne Harradine, Paul Harrington, Ross Hayman, Rachel Haynes, Ayesha Hazarika, Nancy Hill, Dorothea Hodge, Jane Hogarth, Luke Holland, Ian Howarth, Kamella Hudson, David Hughes, Anji Hunter, Pat Ireland, Catherine Jackson, Ifan Jones, Marilyn Kehoe, Chris Kelsey, Annie Keys, Roy Lakey, Alexander Latham, Bill Lees, Lily Lewis, Joe McCrea, Blair McDougall, Sharlene McGee, Alasdair McGowan, Matthew McGregor, Declan McHugh, Adrian McMenamin, Tom Marley, Veronica Martell, Ann Martin, Peter May, Tal Michael, Fiona Millar, Gordon Miller, Abdi Mohamed, Baroness Sally Morgan, Carl Morris, Ian Moss, Henri Murison, Sheila Murphy, Katie Myler, William Neal, James Noble, Kate Nustedt, Martin O’Donovan, Liam O’Rourke, Alan Olive, Andrew Pakes, Terry Paul, Tracey Paul, Hannah Pawlby, Hilary Perrin, Sue Peters, Simon Pitkeathley, Gregor Poynton, Lance Price, Sue Pugh, Razi Rahman, Jon Rhodes, Sioned-Mair Richards, David Robertson, Lyndsey Robinson, Pearleen Sangha, Rachael Saunders, Lenny Shallcross, Andrew Sharp, Roger Sharp, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Will Sherlock, Rob Sherrington, Joseph Sherry, Nick Sigler, Nicola Simmonds, Kieran Simpson, Paul Simpson, James Stewart, Martin Stolliday, Ruth Sweetland, Morgan Tarr, David Taylor (1), David Taylor (2), Parna Taylor, Richard Taylor, Lisa Tremble, Simon Wady, Glen Watson, Susan Watson, Peter Watt, John Watts, Roger Weetch, Peter Wheeler, Angela Wilkins, Tom Wright, Katherine Wylie

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com