I feel I must reply to Ken Coleman's letter (Oxford Mail, October 22).

If the fire brigade's union and their employers had not suffered Government interference during negotiations in July it might not have been necessary to threaten industrial action.

I think his point about trying to cash in on the sympathy given to American firefighters because of September 11 is outrageous. The settlement of the firefighters' pay claim was due well before this date.

It would rather appear that the Government is trying to pick a fight to appease its friends in the business world, the unjustified pay rises of which pass unremarked.

Mr Coleman's comment of "holding the country to ransom" seems to betray his political sympathies. The Conservatives did more damage to our public services than can be imagined.

This has led to a demoralised ill-paid workforce within this area and problems with staff retention. Indeed, one fireman in Newbury commutes from South Wales as staff can be recruited locally.

Regrettably, a supposedly Labour Government has tried to improve public services by 'modernisation' (trying to get the job done on the cheap) and 'reviews' such as the one reducing police overtime (again get the job done on the cheap!).

As to Mr Coleman's point about making strikes illegal, no-one wants to go on strike. But public service pay has lagged behind other sectors thanks to the contempt in which employees were held by the Tories.

It has not been tackled properly by this Government. Banning strikes is the type of action undertaken by a dictatorship.

CHRISTOPHER FOSTER

Hugh Allen Crescent

Marston

Oxford