YP Letters: Why trade unions matter '“ even if Bernard Ingham does not think so

I READ wiith considerable interest Bernard Ingham’s article “Union attitudes still doomed to bring only pain to workers” (The Yorkshire Post, May 11). Sir Bernard poses the question “Where is there a union leader to kick over the traces and opt for making the capitalist system – and capitalists – work for his members?”

I gave this question some serious consideration and have some suggestions to make that could help beleaguered capitalists. Perhaps the TUC could organise a mass demonstration through the streets of London and converge of the House of Commons demanding all workers be put on zero-hours-contracts and/or take an across-the-board cut in wages of at least 10 per cent.

We could lobby government for cuts in pensions, not just for public sector workers, but for all workers on incomes of under say £40,000 annually upon reaching retirement age. We could use the savings made to deliver tax cuts to all those earning over £150,000.

We could campaign for the abolition of the minimum wage and for increasing the state retirement age to 80 at least.

Holidays and holiday pay for workers should be abolished, which is another anachronistic thing unions have inflicted on “doomed” working people. The savings made would not only massively increase the share of profits going to capitalists but we could completely eradicate corporation tax for once and for all.

We should insist that workers’ pension funds be used to invest in credit default swaps and other financially “exotic instruments” to help save greedy and incompetent bankers from themselves.

Since even further emergency funds will inevitably be needed to save the capitalist system, trade unions should insist that austerity be used as a permanent fall-back position so that workers, disabled workers, unemployed workers and the poorest in society can do their bit to make the system work.

Unions in the meantime should stop fighting for better safety standards at work. We should consider supporting doctors and nurses and the NHS when we need them and drop them like hot-cakes as soon as they need us. Finally, we could submit these ideas to be considered for George Osborne’s next Budget or as a possible script for a future series of Yes, Prime Minister.

Now that’s something Sir Bernard knows all about.