Whatever the outcome of the pension protest, those members of Unison who think they have been hard done by may just consider some of us in the private sector have been self employed with rubbish pension prospects for eons of time.

The day of protest wasn’t exactly the Jarrow hunger march – look how busy the local cafes and restaurants were.

Being self-employed, if you take a day off you don’t get paid. No holiday or sick pay, no security and instant dismissal if the work dries up with no job security whatsoever.

Teachers, nurses and dustmen are not the Tollpuddle Martyrs when it comes to injustice.

My sympathy lies with a 70-years-old roofer mate who still has to shift heavy buckets of hot tar up a ladder every day because he has to. No fancy pension for him. Don’t wind me up.

Trevor Murdin
Flemming Crescent
Leigh