Strike support

I am appalled at his stance and have written to ask him what mandate he has for this.

Public sector pension reforms are overdue. Labour recognised this in the last parliament but chickened out of addressing the issue except in the most mild way, in the face of threats from its union funders.

Can Mr Gray please tell me why it is right that out of our own private and state pensions we should pay taxes to support pensions payments to the privileged group of people in the public sector?

Public sector employees contribute normally 6 per cent of salary into their pension funds. Independent advice states that they receive pension payments that would require an employee contribution of circa 30 per cent of their salaries. We, the usual suckers, the taxpayers, fund the difference.

Labour hastened the grave erosion of private pensions when Brown removed the tax relief on dividend payments to pension funds. Did Mr Gray protest against that measure?

There will be marches in Edinburgh by Unionist and Labour MSPs on 30 November. I am minded to go with my own placard to express my support for the proposed reforms which will still leave public sector pensions in a much advantaged position and still heavily subsidised by the taxpayers.

David K Allan

Mainshill

Haddington, East Lothian

To answer Thomas L Inglis (Letters, 18 November) on whether MSPs would lose payment for supporting strikers on 30 November instead of attending parliament: that’ll be the day!

MSPs have no contractual hours of work, though it must be acknowledged that some would qualify for overtime if that were the case.

Nor can they be faulted for failing to attend work. The parliament meets only three days a week, but members are not bound to turn up.

Indeed, there is a recent precedent for this present situation in that at least one Labour MSP used an “attendance” day to canvass at the last Westminster election.

The proposed review of our electoral system should be widened to include specific MSP duties, which should at least involve requirement to attend – and vote at – all debates.

Robert Dow

Ormiston Road

Tranent

So that Thomas Inglis does not lose any sleep can I reassure him that I will be showing solidarity with the tens of thousands of public sector workers who will be on strike on St Andrew’s Day and that I will not be claiming my parliamentary salary or claiming any expenses that day.

I am sure Mr Inglis will, like me, watch with interest as SNP politicians join with their Tory and Lib Dem friends to cross the picket lines at the Scottish Parliament.

Neil Findlay

MSP for Lothians (Labour)

Fauldhouse

West Lothian