Strike call-off seems unlikely

Warning came as talks between the Coalition and union leaders were condemned as a “farce”.

Up to 30,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are due to strike over changes to their pensions. Picket lines will be mounted outside Jobcentres, courts and Government buildings across Scotland.

One union leader even branded the talks – the last chance to avoid widespread, co-ordinated industrial action on Thursday – a “farce”.

The Coalition appealed for strikes to be called off while more talks were planned for next month.

But the gap between the two sides remained so wide there was no chance of halting the action by 750,000 teachers, lecturers and civil servants over controversial pension reforms.

The run-up to the meeting had been overshadowed by an increasingly bitter war of words. The Coalition’s Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Lib Dem Danny Alexander, provoked fury by insisting it would press ahead with plans to make employees pay more and work longer.

After the talks, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber, said: “In terms of the key issues, we are looking at a major gap.

“But the Government has indicated some movement in their thinking and we’ll be having more talks. This is a serious process and we are committed to trying to reach agreement.”

However, he defended the unions striking this week, pointing out they had held ballots.

He said of their members: “They are showing anger and real fears for their pensions that are under threat.”

Mr Barber added further strikes in the autumn were a “possible step”.

Dave Prentis, leader of Britain’s biggest public sector union Unison, has already threatened the most sustained campaign of co-ordinated action since the General Strike in 1926 unless the dispute is resolved.

Unison plans to ballot 1.2 million workers for strike action and is pressing ahead in case talks fail.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Prentis said: “There is still a massive cavern between us.”

One union insider close to the talks said: “They are negotiating on things on the edges but won’t budge on the key issues of paying more, getting less pension and working longer.

Other public sector workers will strike against the pensions shake-up and job cuts, despite Labour leader Ed Miliband saying it could harm the public perception of their case.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union will picket Jobcentres, government buildings including the Treasury in Whitehall and the Houses of Parliament, ports, coastguard stations and driving test centres. The union also expects court cases to be cancelled across the UK.

Members of the Prison Officers Association will hold a protest meeting.

And anti-tax avoidance group UK Uncut will also be staging protests.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, who led the negotiations for the Government alongside Mr Alexander, said he was disappointed the strike would still go ahead and said it was “quite wrong” while talks were still ongoing.

However, the public is sympathetic towards the strike, a poll revealed.

The ComRes survey for the Independent found 49% agreed the workers had a legitimate reason to strike, with 35% disagreeing. And 78% agreed it was unfair for them to pay for bankers’ mistakes before the financial crisis.