In reply to Michael Holder's letter, Alive and well (Oxford Mail, August 13), my contention is that unions worldwide have declined since 1970.

I don't argue this as good or bad, but provable from available information.

Where are unions in Russia, China and India? Can anyone deny 40 years of union decline even in Western democracies?

If British unions are strong, why was the recent council workers' strike a low-key, one-day action?

Time was when dockers in major ports could shake governments and terrorise political parties. Even dustmen and grave-diggers had their day. Now it's sporadic nuisance strikes by public service employees and threats of disruption by Heathrow baggage handlers.

A small improvement led UK unions to become over-optimistic.

But the main reason for improvement was unnecessary jobs in the public sector — Labour has created more than 800,000. This has limits because demands to curb immigration grow (85 per cent say there is too much pressure on public services).

Mountains of statistics and layers of bureaucracy can't hide decline. UK membership was 13.3 million in 1979, 55 per cent of employees. Now it's around 7.5 million, 30 per cent, a continuous decline since 1970.

STEPHEN WARD Tudor Close Oxford