Public sector strike threats

TUC leaders yesterday threatened a strike over pay and redundancies by 5 million public sector workers. The General Council of the TUC said that unions should consider 'synchronised balloting' on industrial action if the government refused to give way over a 1.5 per cent upper limit on pay, pit closures and job losses throughout the public service.

Union leaders however rejected the call by the National Union of Mineworkers for trade unionists to stay away from work on 19 January in protest at colliery closures.