This is further compounded by the workers of South32 who continue to strike in favour of ridiculous and pointless EA conditions; this may just play into the Greens’ hands.

If the mine is not profitable it will close for good. Where will your next job, mortgage, car, holiday or children’s education come from?

How will the Illawarra survive without mines and BlueScope? Will the unions pay for the workers and their families to live after their jobs have gone? Where will these green jobs be?

Why would anyone invest in the Illawarra when it is impossible to conduct good honest business here?

And don’t start me on the obstructionist council. If the policy is not benefiting Wollongong then change the policy; after all the policy belongs to the people, not just the few who take a wage from our council funds.

Wake up people, fight for your jobs and return to work; work is a privilege not an entitlement. Fight for our city; let’s attract people and investment to Wollongong and the Illawarra.

John Morris, Wollongong

THE not-so-golden thread that runs through the judicial system has woven itself into a fabric that only the wealthy and well heeled in society can afford to wear.

The law belongs only to those who can afford to pay for it.

The last time a Royal Commission was appointed with the ability to fully and openly investigate criminal activity was the inquiry held into police corruption, the Wood Royal Commission.

Even its findings have never been fully implemented.

 It seems strange to me that not one employer ever came forward to publicly proclaim that they were being blackmailed by a trade union.

It was only when Tony Abbott decided to use public money to pay for an obviously politically based inquiry that only his supporters came forward.

The Tony Abbott mutual admiration society in our community already found the trade union movement guilty long before the Royal Commission released any findings at all.

Yet another example of ‘‘one jockey on the horse and 10,000 jockeys in the stands’’.

Dave Cox, Corrimal

 I STILL can’t believe that RMS is going to make such a large diversion to get around Albion Park Rail when the obvious, most cost effective route is over the existing rail corridor.

The  RMS route will sterilise hundredsof millions of dollars of farmingand residential land for all time and the coastal strip really can’t afford that. 

These dinosaurs need to get into the modern world and stop chewing up our countryside.

Mick Hort, Barrack Heights

 PERHAPS Mr Ward could offer some evidence to substantiate his claim that workers’ salaries are the cause of BlueScope’s problems.

Publishing the packages of himself and Mr O’Malley alongside those of the Port Kembla steel workers would surely support his claim.

Further, full disclosure of the wages of Chinese steel workers would further enlighten the public as to the vision Mr Ward has for our future. 

John Cropper, Thirroul