On page three of that edition he would have seen a picture of one of the greatest fighters for decent pay and working conditions this region and perhaps even this country has ever seen.

Fred Moore, a man in his nineties, still has the fire in his belly to fight for justice in the workplace. What is happening at Appin Colliery is indicative of the cancer that has spread to workers via labour hire companies and no job is secure, safe or fairly paid under their tenure.

The”left wing socialists” Adrian refers to in his frequent comments are men like Fred Moore who fought for and probably won the pay and conditions enjoyed by men just like Adrian. Men blinded by political bias but who were probably first in line with their hand out to accept the hard won pay rise they may have received or perhaps the public holidays, holiday loading or maybe long service leave. Or could it have been the sick leave he was too proud to accept because it was won by honourable men like Fred, sworn enemies of people like Devlin.

Men like Fred, my dad and my father-in-law lived through tough times. Two world wars and a depression spawned men with guts and determination. I suggest Adrian and his ilk get hold of a history book or two and then ask themselves where it all went wrong. How was it that growing up in the forties and fifties, kids like me had access to a good education, a comfortable lifestyle in a house being paid for by a tradesman dad who enjoyed job security, a  reasonable wage for the times and a mum who didn't have to go out to work. I suggest it was because of men like Fred and the unionist workers like our family who stuck together and fought the good fight.  

We are constantly fed the line that unemployment levels are usually somewhere around five percent but they fail to mention that one is considered “employed” if working only one hour a week. “Employed” should mean employed in a  legitimate, secure job and earning a reasonable  wage.

With battles to be won such as companies employing 457 visa workers when perfectly capable local workers are available and labour hire companies ripping off their workers to a massive extent it is a great shame there are few men with the courage of out forebears. Perhaps workers will have to endure the hardship suffered by generations ago before they truly come together and say “enough is enough”.

Denise Meredith, Kanahooka

The Illawarra is suffering from, road closures. An area with some 300,000 people desperate for reprieve for better rail services, and the continual disruption, because of neglected maintenance on the main road arteries.

Yet our governments throw money into the scrub whist, expecting the commuters, and motorists to cop it sweet.

Brian Spillane, Bulli

For Australia, Joanne McCarthy, yes, the facts are well weeded out, (Weed out the facts, Illawarra Mercury, December 3).

The mining "tax", destroyed by Mr Abbott, supported by the big mining players, was to ensure Australia got a full commercial return on its mineral wealth.

Funds from the biggest boom ever would have endlessly funded our infrastructure needs, now lost for all time. The Australian community, Gina Rinehart aside, are the owners of the nation's mineral wealth.

Yet, we stand to get nothing from our natural gas, compared to even third world nations. Also, Norway may be masters of big oil, but the whole world is slave to crude oil. An ever more precarious power source, part of the filthy 33 billion fossil tonnes burned a year, (630,000 Sydney Harbour Bridges).

Graeme Tychsen, Rankin Park