UK News 13-09-2004 Unions Threaten Walkout who: Tony Blair what: Addresses TUC assembly on role of unions in campaign for third term where: BRIGHTON when: Today snippet: "The leader of Britain`s biggest union warned the Prime Minister yesterday not to let Alan Milburn, the party`s new policy chief, unleash his `wild ideas` before the general election next year," reports The Independent. Labour leaders made several employment rights and pensions policy commitments to the big four unions - the Transport and General Workers, Amicus, GMB and Unison - at the Party`s national policy forum in July. Union leaders have made it clear they will not tolerate interference by new Labour Party "policy supremo" Mr Milburn, says The Telegraph. "They want Mr Blair to signal greater commitment to pension reform, including plans for compulsory contributions by employers, to end the pensions crisis." Tony Blair will be at the annual TUC assembly in Brighton today to outline the role he wants the unions to play in Labour`s election campaign. But the speech coincides with simmering opposition from the Public & Commercial Services Union, which represents the civil service and is threatening the largest strike in over a decade on November 5th. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber is expected to tell delegates that "the phrase `love-hate relationship` could have been invented to describe how the unions get along with the government," reports the BBC. Yesterday, says The Sun, he appeared for a photo opportunity on Brighton pier spinning a wheel of fortune "to show how pensions had become a lottery under Labour with many ending up losers". [... more]

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