Govt's public sector pension offer fails to avert strikes

Yesterday chief Treasury secretary Danny Alexander outlined a compromise offer on the reforms which will see public sector employees working longer and paying more for pensions. However, the offer was dependent on unions dropping strike plans. Today's ballot result is expected to encourage up to 20 other unions to join in a national day of action. Five unions already have a mandate for action and others are balloting. If all unions strike, it will be the largest industrial action since January 1979. The government's offer was for public sector workers to have accrual rates of 1/60t...