HYNDBURN MP Greg Pope's tirade of abuse at trade unions and trade union leaders (LET, September 11) was reminiscent of Margaret Thatchers's era when Tory Ministers and MPs lined up to attack the 'enemy within' during the 1980s, secure in the knowledge that they would curry favour and possibly promotion from their beloved leader.

Mr Pope describes the 40 per cent pay claim by the Fire Brigade Union as "unreasonable".

Perhaps he may wish to describe how reasonable the 30 per cent-plus pension rise awarded to MPs is and, which one he thinks would attract the most support from the public.

With all guns blazing, Mr Pope attacks trade union leaders Bob Crow, Mike Rix and the newly elected Amicus-AEEU General Secretary Derek Simpson, despite the fact he is a Labour Party member and that he has publicly stated that his union should continue their massive payments to the Labour Party.

Two phrases "biting the hand that feeds you" and "shooting yourself in the foot" come to mind.

At fringe meetings and during TUC Congress certainly there was criticism of the inadequacy of employment rights, which leaves British workers working the longest hours with the least holidays than their European counterparts.

There was severe criticism of the failure of successive governments, Tory and New Labour, for the pension crisis, primarily caused by the dismantling of the pension legislation piloted through parliament by the late Barbara Castle during the 1970s, a period about which Mr Pope is so disparaging.

Mr Pope shows the same arrogance of attitude as the New Labour MPs who immediately resigned their union membership because their unions democratically decided to use their funds to back MPs who are prepared to concentrate their efforts on behalf of their members, rather than have one eye on the ermine and robes of the House of Lords.

That is clearly upsetting the status quo and the establishment, not least of all the New Labour MP for Hyndburn.

Mr Pope should direct his venomous criticism against the true "wreckers" in society.

These ae the fat cat private sector bosses who are making exorbitant profits and amassing huge amounts of personal wealth out of the local and national taxpayers through cutting terms and conditions of privatised public sector workers, some of whom may be Mr Pope's constituents.

COUN DON RISHTON, Wensley Fold Ward, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.