Rarely do I laugh out loud at newspaper pieces but your editorial about the firefighters' strike (Oxford Mail, November 13) was a case in point.

Firstly, the public are NOT caught in a 'crossfire between employers and workers'.

I have not met one firefighter who wanted to go on strike.

They suspended their strikes to negotiate with employers.

The Government's intervention through the interim Bain Review is the immediate cause of the strike.

Fire crews were offered four per cent without strings before they voted 9-1 for action.

It looks likely that the Government 'persuaded' the employers not to make a more realistic offer.

Many firefighters are forced to claim state welfare handouts.

Lots of local firefighters have to commute from outside the county because the cost of housing is so expensive.

The employers have effectively conceded the other three points of their claim: equal pay for women and part-time (retained) firefighters, and a new pay structure linking them to 'professionals' like the police.

The reason they're so badly paid is that after the last strike, 25 years ago, they agreed to be linked to manual workers such as car workers, steel workers and miners.

There are all sorts of reasons why workers are waking up and challenging the so-called New Labour Government, but I'm certain that most people think it's ludicrous that such a vital job is so poorly paid.

If the claim was met in full, it would cost council taxpayers an extra 33p a week.

Given the massive council tax rises and the money that the city council wastes, I don't see how anyone can begrudge the firefighters the money.

ANDY GIBBONS

Oxford & District TUC