General strike threat as govt refuses pension reform talks

At its annual conference today, the Trades Union Congress approved a motion put forward by Unison to carry out coordinated strike action if talks over public sector pay break down, the BBC reports. Action will take place after a day of demonstrations on 20 October, which Unison general secretary Dave Prentis (pictured) said would be a "launch pad for our campaign against austerity". This comes after the National Union of Teachers and the NASUWT union threatened a programme of industrial action this autumn if talks over the reform of the Teachers' Pension Scheme break down (PP Online 2...