Sir, - l was reported in your paper on September 6th as saying that SIPTU had laughed at us in Trinity College in relation to a pensions dispute. I did not say, or imply, that SIPTU or any of its leaders or officials had "laughed at us" in relation to the dispute.
On the contrary, this dispute has been one of the best examples in my experience of enthusiastic and determined support by our union as a whole, not only at local level but especially at the level of the regional officer, national executive and branch official. In this very important struggle, we have twice so far had official strike sanction from the union. In arriving at our recent victory over attempts to cut existing pension benefits, the determination of the regional officer resulted in getting Trinity College to back 100 per cent off their planned cuts, without any compromise.
If I made any remarks about the general leadership of the movement "laughing" at the rank and file, it was solely in relation to my general observations on how 24 years of national wage agreements have been conducted cynically, at the expense of wage levels - especially of the low paid - in return for promises of social reforms which were rarely delivered. - Yours, etc.,
President of
Trinity College Section of
SIPTU,
Trinity College,
Dublin 2.