I NO longer call public employees servants. They serve no one, other than themselves and their politically motivated union masters.

A decent proposal has been made in respect of honouring current pensions.

It follows that new staff will have a different scheme with different conditions. There is nothing new in that, it has happened in all pension schemes from their inception.

The reasons behind this unlawful and unwanted strike are twofold: greed and political posturing.

Public employees enjoy job security and safety in the knowledge that they will be paid on time and at the agreed intervals.

It has taken a brave decision to start and implement cuts as many public positions are overstaffed.

Waste is abundant in hospitals, town halls and schools. It’s about time that the public sector realised that it must swallow the bitter pill that the private sector does on a day-to-day basis.

As public employees enjoy an extra Christmas shopping day, the nation’s borders are at risk, children will lose another day’s education and the public at large will suffer.

The wreckers who go by the name of trades unionists will soon learn there is little sympathy for this hollow cause and hopefully the Government will dig in.

The Government should ignore the Labour Party and stick to its negotiations with the unions.

Hopefully, they can reach a fair resolution. The public must make it clear they will not be bullied by these selfish, uncaring employees who must realise if you want esteem, abandoning your public is not the way to do it.

Colin T Mortimer, Pity Me.

THE taxpayer is subsidising trades union activities to the tune of £113m per year.

That figure includes direct payments via such schemes as the union learning fund and the skills funding agency.

But, by far the biggest donation was in the form of employers (primarily in the public sector) granting time off for union officials to carry out their union duties.

This week these duties will include advising, in the strongest possible terms, fellow employees to embark upon a day of strike action tomorrow. You couldn’t make it up.

DW Lacey, Durham.