The Herald Letters

Nothing better exposes the class nature of our society than the current pensions crisis. In a month when, yet again, the government has shown that it will go to any lengths to defend the interests of the rich, one million of Britain's lowest-paid workers have been forced to take strike action in defence of their pensions, which have come under attack from the same government.

The government says that it has no choice but to take this action; that the country cannot afford this level of pension provision. This is nonsense and just another example of government spin. All governments make choices; that's what governments do. This government chose not to impose the same pension settlement on other public-service workers, most notably teachers, because it didn't want a damaging industrial dispute in the run-up to the election.

As for funding, the government chooses to spend tens of billions of pounds each year in subsidising the rich and big business, in maintaining a useless nuclear arsenal and in fighting an illegal war. It also chooses to deny itself colossal revenues from the rich by refusing to change to a more progressive tax regime. In fact if the money isn't there it's because it is being diverted into these other areas.

The local government workers striking on Tuesday are in the front line of the fightback and as such represent the interests of all working people facing the same attack; particularly in the private sector. That's why they should be and are being supported. That widespread disruption took place is simply a reflection of the essential jobs these workers do. If those on fat-cat pensions went on strike would anyone notice?

There is a Woody Guthrie song, Whose Side Are You On? New Labour would have no problem answering this question. However, for the million workers on strike and the millions of others who supported them it is time to face reality. There is now no difference between New Labour and the Tories when it comes to attacking the interests of working people. On the demonstrations and rallies in Scotland on Tuesday the Scottish Socialist Party was the only party to stand shoulder to shoulder with those on strike.

William Bonnar,129 Ardmory Avenue, Glasgow.

Video Footage of the Edinburgh Demo

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