Long before I became a pensioner, I was aware life is full of both negatives and positives.

Thirty years ago, it was not unusual for a man to retire at 65 and die at age 70. He drew his pension for only five years, so that was a negative.

Due to advances in medical science, men now often live to 85 and enjoy 20 years of retirement. This is a positive.

However, if they want to run a car and take holidays abroad, they need to fill their pension pot with enough money to make this possible.

The public service workers do not seem to be understanding this economic reality, preferring to parade in the street and come out on strike.

David Dearle
Chalfont Close
Leigh

...With thousands of medical staff parading around the streets on strike alert for a day on behalf of the unions’ desire to ruin this country, does this not indicate that under normal times hospitals are overstaffed if, as stated, no patients will be affected by the strike?

Surely the dedicated staff cannot afford to lose a day’s pay while the union officials will be earning extra with their visits to various media studios to give their views on how the strikes have taken place.

Chas Cheesman
The Grove
Southend