UK unions plan biggest protests against spending cuts

The UK's union umbrella body Trades Union Congress (TUC) today said that it would stage the "biggest and boldest" demonstration in its history next March to protest the government's spending cuts.

This comes in the wake of the government announcing on Wednesday that it would cut half a million public sector jobs, increase the retirement age and drastically prune welfare spending. The measures will form part of a £80-billion thrift drive to address a budget deficit of 11 per cent of GDP.

According to the TUC, which represents 6.5 million workers, the cuts would have a devastating impact. The union has announced a campaign of political pressure to try to turn voters against the plans.

"The union movement and the country face the sternest test in a generation," TUC general secretary Brendan Barber will say in a speech to union groups in London.

"Not only is the economy on its knees, not only is the law tilted against us, but we have a government in power that is making spending cuts of a speed, scale and savagery never before seen."

Barber has so far not called for a widespread strike action, saying that the TUC would rather focus on harnessing popular discontent resulting from the deepest public service cuts since 1975 in a bid to sway ministers against the cuts.