Madam, - The letter by Brendan Quinn (November 19th) is so full of factual errors it is hard to know where to begin, but it is clearly the result of being bombarded over a long period of time with misinformation.
Could I point out to him that Siptu is made up of both public-sector and private-sector workers? Indeed, while we organise more workers in the public sector than any other union, two-thirds of our members are in the private sector.
The reality is that workers in both the private and public sectors are experiencing the most sustained assault on the quality and security of their employment in more than a generation. Mr Quinn fails to draw the obvious conclusion that workers are better off in trade unions and should make their first priority joining one, rather than enduring poor pay and conditions. His letter is eloquent testimony to the success of big business and its cheerleaders in the media of totally misrepresenting the role of trade unions in our society.
One consequence is a level of misinformation that, in itself, is becoming part of the problem when it comes to addressing structural inequities. - Yours, etc,
JACK O'CONNOR, President, Siptu, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1.