I HOPE the minority of public sector workers will realise their selfishness before they take strike action.

Greece is bankrupt and at the point of civil war. Portugal, Spain, Italy and France are economic basket cases.

We are in just a bad position. The private sector is having to tighten its belts.

Because of this everybody should be pulling together, not going on strike.

Don’t these people understand that by taking industrial action they will be hurting the elderly, sick and vulnerable and schoolchildren.

The arrogant leaders know full well that the present public sector pension scheme is unaffordable.

The present offer, in my opinion, is also unaffordable and yet they still intend to strike.

What they are saying is: let’s make the private sector work harder, longer and pay extra council and other taxes to pay for the present system.

Their leaders are people living in yesterday’s world, which by their members’ intended action, could tip us into a depression.

I lived through the depression of the 1930s and saw the millions out of work, the tent cities and soup kitchens, and believe me, you do not want to go there.

Incidentally, the main cause of this was the general strike that took place called for by the unions.

If they persist in their intended action they will have to rely on the backing of the general public and that at best will be short-lived. As for this Coalition Government of ours, will it stand firm? Give me a laugh and at the present time I could really do with one.

NORMAN V ROPER, Stow Avenue, Witney