Madam, – Regarding the judiciary’s reluctance to “share the pain” by agreeing to a pay cut, having avoided the pension levy, I am struck by the deafening silence from the trade unions on this subject. The politicians have also rowed back on the budget promise to abolish ministerial pensions for serving TDs. The unions should get off their knees with regard to this matter, and withdraw any support, spoken or unspoken, for future levies, tax increases, or other hardships for their members, until these privileged elites decide, belatedly, to “share the pain”, as it appears they have no intention of doing so, unless forced to by pressure from outside their cosy clubs. – Yours, etc,