WITHDRAWAL of labour is an important right in a modern democracy, but it does not mean that a strike should go ahead without consideration for those it affects.

During the recession of 2008, when there was a huge increase of unemployment, workers, management and unions worked together to ensure businesses stayed open.

There were redundancies and pay cuts, but very few strikes because people knew what a bad situation the country was in and, by working together, we would get through it — call it solidarity.

The government is still borrowing to pay for services we are using today, building debts that will have to be paid for in the future. The budget must be balanced so, just as the private sector did and is still doing its bit, the public sector must also support the recovery.

It is hard to see that the strikers had any sense of solidarity with fellow workers, many of whom will have had bigger pay cuts and longer pay freezes.

The alleged behaviour of some people in harassing hard-working stallholders in Bolton Market was deplorable and shows a complete lack of consideration.

Chris Green Conservative PPC for Bolton West