The largest British public sector trade union, Unison, says that it has signed an informal agreement with the government regarding changes to health care and pensions. Unison says that it has not agreed to a formal deal, and that they will consider the offer into next year. The government has asked that the outline of the deal be approved by Unison and other public sector leaders before they make a final offer. Unions say that this does not mean the end of protests over pension changes, the latest of which on November 30 was the largest British industrial protest since 1979.
See "Union signs NHS pension reform pact", Dan Milmo, Guardian Unlimited (UK), December 18, 2011