CONGRATULATIONS to the Evening Press and the GMB union for taking on Kraft Foods over its threat to close Terry's.

Yet again a corporate giant tries to increase profit at the expense of workers, by moving jobs to countries where they can get away with poverty wages.

It's divide-and-rule, playing us off in a grim bidding war of who will work for the least money. The only long-term way to stop it is for workers to link up internationally through our trade unions and stand together for decent minimum wages for all. Then the corporations would have nowhere to go and nothing to gain from outsourcing.

For now I hope all of us in York will stand up and be counted, and join the Save Terry's campaign.

Ben Drake

Danum Road,

Fulford, York.

...I WORKED at Terry's as maintenance engineer from 1972-1999. You missed Colgate Palmolive on your timeline 1977-1982 (Terry's melts away, April 20) - another American firm who asset-stripped Terry's, no inward investment, sold farm and land and the shop in St Helen's Square (now TSB bank) then the factory to United Biscuits.

York's manufacturing base has gone to the hard face of American and Swiss capitalism: Vickers, Armstrongs, BREL, Rowntree, Terry's, Ben Johnsons.

Your campaign to save Terry's should be addressed to the American people as they are also suffering from massive job cuts due to the global economy driven by US big business.

That is another problem for Mr Bush to address with an election coming up. As the Evening Press is American owned with a vested interest in York, can you not use your contacts in the American media to highlight this issue?

Michael Abbot,

Acomb,

York.

...THE closure of the Terry's factory should be welcomed by York. Who needs industry in this country when the developing world can do everything so much cheaper?

The workers can spend their redundancy money on new luxury homes on the site. They will be able to borrow against the rising equity and use the money to shop at the new Coppergate II mall, and gamble at the Barbican casinos.

Why work when we can all borrow against an ever upward spiral of house prices? Why not rent out the houses and move to a little enclave in Spain?

York is a city of festivals now. This is the new economy.

What could possibly go wrong?

Roger Mowbray,

Bootham Terrace,

York.

...With Ascot in my mind, surely for the racecourse to have such a property as Terry's on either side would be an advantage? Parking and bigger facilities could be made if it was part of the racing complex. I'm sure Terry's could make a good investment on such a sale at this moment.

There will be many ideas for such a site and its location.

Keith Chapman,

Custance Walk,

St Benedict Road,

Nunnery Lane, York.

Updated: 11:51 Monday, April 26, 2004