Government chose path of conflict

YOUR editorial (‘Realism and sanity must prevail’, January 22) omitted one fact that is essential to understanding why public service unions began taking industrial action from Monday last.

It was, in fact, the unions that first proposed massive public service reform measures in the negotiations with the Government at the end of last year.

This entirely new approach to managing and delivering services would have delivered the payroll savings required by the Government in 2010 and beyond, while ensuring that vital services were protected and enhanced as expenditure and staff numbers fell.