Press problems
Sir: A small point in the reply to Patrick Maniham's review of my book on the press. I do not 'absolve the union of any blame for losses, stoppages and quality of the national press'. Stoppages and losses day and night in Fleet Street are directly attributable to the action, or inaction, of union members. My complaint was against the familiar litany that blame can be laid equally at the doors of both unions and management — a litany chanted at crescendo by successive Royal Commissions on the press.
My point is that the owners of newspapers are historically responsible for the structure and conduct of their businesses; they encouraged their managers to accept the pattern of labour relations and payments prevailing in the industry; and they are now clearly responsible for doing something about it. Thankfully, newspapers are a still surviving relic of competitive British capitalism. But capitalists cannot turn their eyes to heaven when the going gets tough and say it is nothing to do with them.
Simon Jenkins 174 Regent's Park Road, London NW1 Sir: The answer to Mr Sykes's first question (Letters, 7 April) is that I was very happy working for The Times and shall be very happy as soon as I can work for it again. His second question is not really for me to answer, but I would suggest that, whatever the faults of the management of Times Newspapers Limited, they do not include the degree of intolerance that he implies. Edward Mortimer 30 Birchington Road, London N8
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