I LISTENED to the speeches at the TUC Conference and agreed with what most of the speakers had to say about the expected spending cuts. I can not emphasise too strongly that trade unionists must be aware that the opinions expressed at the Conference are not shared by the majority of voters, and the delegates are deceiving themselves if they think that all they need to do is vote at the conference.

It would be a mistake for them to think that they would achieve anything through strikes, demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience. It would probably have an effect on general opinion contrary to what they intended.

Those of us who are critical of what the Government is indicating it will do need to persuade others to our point of view. Persuasion is a gentle art and it is exactly opposite to action which could be thought to be coercive.

All of us will have the opportunity to register what we think of Government actions in elections. Until then, trade union leaders should take up any opportunity to use their persuasive powers with members of the Government.

Geoffrey Bulmer, Billingham.

PROOF, if ever it was needed, that we can never return to the days when power hungry union leaders dictated economic policy to elected governments.

Higher taxes is their answer to the mess left behind by the government they bought and paid for.

The excessive demands of militant union bosses rendered our industries both uncompetitive and unproductive in the Seventies and Eighties.

Ultimately, they cost many of their members their jobs.

It was wildcat strikes, which held the country to ransom, that led an unsympathetic public to support Mrs Thatcher’s manifesto pledge for union reforms.

Indications are the public will not support the “class war”

proposed by the TUC and at a time when further union reforms are being considered, strike action will prove to be destructive to and detrimental to their members, all in the name of vengeance for losing the election.

I have never endorsed the coalition government other than to say that David Cameron is proving to be a credible Prime Minister and George Osbourne is proving to be a real iron Chancellor.

Labour conveniently refuses to spell out where they would make the painful, but inevitable, cuts if, God forbid, they were in government.

Des More, Darlington