Citizen for Peace, by e-mail: In the 1980s unions used to declare "during the strike there is bound to be violence for which we cannot be held responsible".

They declared their full knowledge of, and gave consent to, the use of violence (and the bargaining power it brought) and refused to take any responsibility for their members' actions. In fact, strike action has now become an excuse for looting, violence and public mayhem.

Despite a change of government and constitution, nothing has changed.

But if some have the right to strike, others surely have the equal and opposite right not to strike? And surely the rest of South Africa - the majority - have the right to safely go about our business? Whose rights count for more?

Because the ANC used the unions to come to power, and still depends on them to stay in power, it is politically expedient for the government to look the other way as the rights of the majority get trampled by opportunistic unionists who take advantage of the strike.

This is their time of glorious, unchecked mayhem. And woe to whoever crosses their path. And the day after they will melt back into the woodwork like the worms they are and no one will be held accountable.

Lives are destroyed, property is burned and our much-vaunted Constitution buckles before political expediency, leaving the defenceless public to pay the price in terms of looted property, burnt cars and extra levies to restore the town to what it was before. Sadly, our Constitution is not worth the paper it was written on.

If unions really supported peaceful negotiation and the Constitution, they would take responsibility for damage or violence that occurs during their strikes. After all, if the unions did not call a strike there would not have been any violence.

But no, they rather harvest with glee the advantage of the public's fear and outcry, which then boosts their negotiations.

The public must stand up for its own rights. If we cannot have peaceful strikes then we should not have any strikes at all.

We should call for a moratorium on all strike action until strikes could be organised in such a fashion as to not violate the rights of others.

Until then the right to strike should not exist at all. Let us have a strike on strikes.