. . . and statistics
'More than 42 per cent of officers at P&O European Ferries would sail strike-breaking ships even if they were inadequately crewed and therefore un- safe.
'In a ballot of 490 officers by [their union Numast] . . . 197 of the 346 who voted said they would not sail such vessels, but 144 refused to give such an undertaking.'
(Independent, 18 May) First, 144 out of 346 is not even 42 per cent, let alone 'more than 42 per cent'. Secondly, the 144 should be expressed as a percentage of all those balloted (29.4 per cent) before generalising ab- out P&O European Ferries officers. Thirdly, the actual question was 'Are you prepared to take strike action, in breach of your contract of employment, not to sail any ship where, in the view of [Numast] members on that ship, the crew engaged to replace the crews presently in dispute is inadequate for the safety of the intended voyage, either in number, experience and certification, or training, and place the physical safety of the ship and/or its passengers at risk?' The dilemma — break one's contract or sail an unsafe ship — might alone explain the 144 'noes'. In addition, the baffling wording militates against glib interpretations of the responses. It no more follows that 144 officers were ready to sail unsafe ships than that a man's answer to the question, 'Have you stopped beating your wife?' describes his marriage adequately.
(£20 goes to Colin Sydenham, of Hamp- stead) Send examples to '. . . and statistics'; £20 for the best published (the first opened if two or more cover the same topic); £10 for every other one pub- lished.
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