Demonstrating a lack of grip on reality

SO John Cafferty in writing about public sector pensions believes there is no crisis in “their” pension schemes (Yorkshire Post, May 11).

He completely misses the point with regard to the numbers.

The reason the public sector pension is in crisis has nothing to do with the money going in; it is where this money comes from

I quote from “An introduction to the NHS Pension Scheme” booklet, produced for new entrants to the scheme in 1995 – “Actuaries have assessed them (the pension benefit) as being worth almost 20 per cent of overall pay… your employer and Government pay the extra required to meet the total cost of the benefit”.

Even Mr Cafferty with his clearly biased thinking and poor attempts to deflect the real issue by statistical nonsense about average pension levels cannot truly believe what he writes.

He and his colleagues would do well to remember and understand the employee/employer relationship – it is the employer (the taxpayer) who has concluded they cannot afford their contribution, going on strike will not change this fact – Mr Cafferty, wake up, grow up and man up.

From: Trev Bromby, Sculcoates Lane, Hull.

I HAVE just seen another campaign by the, in my opinion, dissident Unite union “Pay more, get less, work longer”.

It seems obvious to some that years ago, when these pension plans were laid out, for whatever reason the pioneers have got it wrong on today’s values, life expectancies etc.

Just like David Cameron and his plethora of U-turns, the whole structure has to be reassessed.

It appears militant unionists don’t want to see this logic, and workers can’t; both views baffling.

Why can’t union leaders and members take a step back and look at the broader picture?

From: Paul Morley, Ribblesdale Estate, Long Preston, Skipton.

MAXINE Watt of Beeston seems not to grasp the point of the policing of demonstrations (Yorkshire Post, May 14).

The police are there to ensure that a legal demonstration is allowed to go ahead providing it sticks to the aims of the demo and the route of march set out by the organisers of it.

Unfortunately, nowadays most demos are hijacked by “rent-a-mob” anarchists and militant factions of causes with a genuine reason to demonstrate, mostly to get publicity and discredit the Police and authority.

In my 30 years as a police officer, I policed many demonstrations in London and it is amazing how many of the rent-a-mob faces you get to recognise at these events whatever the cause in question.

As a civilian, I have been on one demonstration/march – the first countryside march to stop the banning of hunting – all the marchers were extremely well behaved and had an excellent rapport with the police.

The only work the police had to do on the day was to deal with a few problems caused by anti-hunt protesters who were nothing to do with the march.

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Holgate, York.

MANY thousands of civil servants and public sector workers held an all day strike march in London last week, but despite all these people being away from their workplace, it caused only a tiny bit of inconvenience to the rest of us.

Does this somewhat futile action only show how bloated the Civil Service is, and that the coalition is right to try and reduce the numbers employed?

Hope amid the wreckage

From: Kendal Wilson, Wharfebank Terrace, Tadcaster.

NO good news will come along for the ordinary man as long as the proliferation of the political class spreads like a disease within society from the right wing to the far left – there exists fertile monied ground where the seeds of political dynasties are woven.

This should be a wake-up call to principled people to hope that another less divisive political landscape evolves from the ashes of our burnt-out system.

Young talent

From: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

IN answer to Sam Harris (Yorkshire Post, May 14), I am pleased to say that Matthew Barrow was elected to North East Lincolnshire Council a couple of weeks ago at the age of just 20. He is now a Labour colleague of Jon-Paul Howarth, just two years older.

Story of song

From: Mrs Pat Kellett, Aspin Oval, Knaresborough.

ON reading your article (Yorkshire Post, May 14) about the Yorkshire song ‘On Ilkley Moor Baht ‘at’, it occurred to me that there may be some people who would be interested in reading more about this song.

My husband, Arnold Kellett, wrote a book on the historical background from which it emerged, with interesting anecdotes from people who have sung the song in the past. It has been known that visitors have asked at the tourist office “Please can you tell me where Baht ‘at is?”

The book is On Ilkla Mooar Baht ‘at – The story of the song, by Arnold Kellett, and is published by Smith Settle, Ltd.