Unions working hard with NHS to protect front line care

We have a Scottish-wide agreement that no staff will suffer compulsory redundancy to ensure that a high level of service is retained for patients, and that any posts in Lothian that may potentially be removed have to go through a rigorous evaluation programme prior to that post being considered obsolete.

It should be noted that public sector workers are not responsible for the current economic crisis, which was caused by the incompetence of some and the greed of others. Furthermore you talk about a 60 million deficit in NHS Lothian, why then did you not highlight the plight of the taxpayers who are now paying Consort 54.5m a year in rent for the ERI? Privatising the profit and socialising the debt?

UNISON are fully committed to the defence of our NHS, not just for our members but to the communities of Edinburgh and the Lothians who rely on them.

Tom Waterson, chair, UNISON, Lothian Health

Driven over edge by parking fines

I was moved to write after reading recently that the greedy dictatorships that run Scotland's major cities and hide behind the name councils are to raise parking fines to 100.

Once again the motorist is being bled to prop up near-bankrupt dictatorships.

Why do the British accept everything thrown at us? Hugh Blaydon of the Association of British Drivers says this could lead to civil disobedience, and so it should. We pay enough in taxes for the privilege of owning our own vehicles.

I will never pay a parking ticket and am quite happy to go to jail for refusing to fill the coffers of dictatorial councils or private parking companies who try to rip you off.

It's time for the British motorist to fight back and refuse to pay the ridiculous charges. They can't jail every motorist, there aren't enough jails.

The way the motorist is hounded in this country would cause riots anywhere else in the world, so get off your backsides British motorists and take the fight to the door of these councils.

V Radzynski, Colinton Mains Drive, Edinburgh

Gloom merchants should lighten up

The Met Office has gleefully declared that we are going to have "ice cream weather" for the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, unsurprisingly, our doom and gloom climate change "experts" have warned us that this is not acceptable and that we need to do more to keep our temperatures down to "save our planet".

These "experts" would be out of a job if they didn't spout this rubbish and, as far as I'm concerned, they can keep this great weather coming and these "experts" can stick their doom and gloom rubbish where it belongs.

Alan Lough, Boroughdales, Dunbar

Scots didn't vote in ignorance

Regarding the article by Helen Martin (Reap rewards of our coalition, May 17) I find that the snide and offensive remarks regarding the way Scotland voted in the general election are a poor reflection on that individual's attitude towards Scottish voters.

I am an old age pensioner and am quite happy with my yearly increase on my pension over the last five years and also the winter fuel payment I have received.

I am quite capable of deciding who I vote for. I certainly do not need the out of order and out of touch comments of Helen Martin.

James Crombie, Summerfield Road, Dunbar

Time we sank Trident for good

The forthcoming Green Economy Summit in Edinburgh on 24 May must address the issue of converting swords into ploughshares.

Scotland needn't be dragged inexorably into Trident II. This ought to be one of the issues at all green economic conferences.

Andrew JT Kerr, Castlegate, Jedburgh