SIR – Some of your correspondents have criticised the 29 per cent turnout in Unison’s ballot for industrial action over the Government’s attack on pensions.

I would like to make two things clear about this ballot.

First, the Thatcher Government imposed the most fiendishly cumbersome and expensive restrictions on trade union ballots in Europe, which, shamefully, successive governments have failed to change.

These restrictions are designed to make the process difficult and requests from the unions to be allowed to improve participation have been rejected.

Second, if you were to question the validity of many local and national politicians on the basis of turnout at their elections, you would find a huge number of them hold office on turnouts of 20 per cent or less.

If we were allowed to have polling booths in the workplace, and/or electronic voting, the turnout would immediately increase, but the Government has chosen not to allow this democratic improvement.

Our members are firmly behind the action to prevent their livelihoods being stolen while the bankers pay themselves multi-million pound bonuses.

Despite all the obstacles put in our way, and all the misinformation from the Government, Unison members have a just and fair case on pensions, and support for the action on November 30 will be solid.

John Cafferty, regional secretary, Unison, Yorkshire and Humberside