Strikes are a thing of the past and the only support for the postal strike in Oxford comes from other trade unionists, like Douglas Williamson of the Amicus/NUJ joint chapel (Oxford Mail, April 9).

Most of us do not even know anyone who belongs to a trade union, let alone belong to one ourselves. The rest of the world carries on and looks for ways to get around the strike.

You portray the leaders of the strike as big, scary, angry men, more suited to bare knuckle fighting than sorting letters.

All I ask is -- can the strikers give one example where this sort of action has ever helped fellow workers in the long term? It always costs jobs!

TONY SHILLINGFORD

Wychwood Close

Carterton