RE John Gilmore's letter about police pay (HAS, Dec 19). The issue at stake is not how much a policeman is paid or is worth.

In the 1970s, police forces were haemorrhaging officers because of low pay. Officers who worked three weekends in a month saw their children claiming free school meals.

The police had no right to strike.

Their wives had to take part in demonstrations to ask for more pay.

Because pay and morale were so bad, the then Labour (not Tory as stated by Mr Gilmore) government set up a committee under Lord Edmund Davies in 1978. His report was basically that if any group of workers employed by a government had no right to strike they should have independent pay reviews. This has worked for almost 30 years.

This year, the Government has refused to abide by its side of the bargain and implement the agreement.

I cannot understand why Mr Gilmore, who seems to be a supporter of trades unionism, supports an employer who reneges on a deal with his workforce and does not want that workforce to have the right to withdraw its labour.

Name supplied, Co Durham.