Letter: Striking statistics

Sir: As the Conservatives are using their old trick of using strikes to divert attention from their own problems, I offer my own independent research into the figures.

During Ted Heath's Conservative government, 54.93 million days were lost due to strikes in three years and eight months. This gives a yearly average figure of 14.98 million days lost.

During the last Labour government, 46.89 million days were lost in five years and two months. This gives a yearly average figure of 9.08 million days lost; that is, a 39 per cent improvement under a Labour government.

From June 1979 to December 1991 under the Conservatives, 96.67 million days were lost. This gives a yearly average of 9.07 million days lost, a mere 16 per cent improvement on Labour's figure.

The Conservatives also mislead the public by linking the 'winter of discontent' and the 29 million days lost in 1979. Up to the end of May, 8.08 million days were lost; 21.4 million days were lost after the Conservatives came to power.

Yours sincerely,

CHARLIE LAWSON

Brighouse, West Yorkshire

15 June