The UK

Unions call collective day of strike action in November

Up to 3m public sector workers including nurses and teachers set to take part in industrial action over pension reforms

the Guardian,

14 September, 2011

Trade unions have called a collective day of strike action on 30 November, warning the government that Britain faces the "biggest mobilisation in a generation" unless ministers rethink "hugely damaging" changes to public sector pension schemes.

Up to 3 million public sector workers, including nurses, teachers and careworkers, are expected to take part in industrial action, with at least 14 unions committed to strikes over government pension reforms.

The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, said: "The intention will be to take the call for pensions justice for both public and private sector workers to every corner of the land on that day in the biggest trade union mobilisation in a generation."

Barber confirmed that the 24-hour walkout – potentially the biggest since the 1926 General Strike – could signal the beginning of a wave of industrial action as individual unions and groups of public sector workers mounted their own campaigns across the UK.

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David Cameron under pressure to soften hardline deficit strategy

Institute of Directors, the Prince's Trust and the TUC join the opposition in demanding action to boost the flagging economy

the Guardian,

14 September, 2011

David Cameron s under growing pressure to soften his hardline deficit reduction strategy after a wave of redundancies in central and local government sent unemployment surging beyond 2.5m.

With the City predicting joblessness would hit 2.75m next year, the Institute of Directors, the Prince's Trust and the TUC joined the opposition in demanding urgent action to boost the flagging economy

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Cameron admitted the official figures – which included the highest female unemployment in 23 years and almost a million young people shut out of the labour market – were "disappointing".

But he insisted that the coalition would not do a U-turn as it attempted to repair Britain's public finances over the course of the current parliament. He said: "All governments are having to take difficult decisions about cutting public spending. Anyone standing here would have to make those decisions. This government is reducing the welfare bill and reforming public sector pensions. If we weren't taking those steps you would have to make deeper cuts in the rest of the public sector."

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