All staff, whether council employees, civil servants or employed by private companies have the right to withdraw their labour and go on strike. Those of us who endured the 1979 ‘Winter of Discontent’ will recall streets piled high with uncollected rubbish to the extent it became a health hazard. Civil servants on that occasion did not come out on strike. When the electricity staff did go on strike we worked on using candles. J E Goldsworthy Glengorse, Battle