Negotiations broke down today betweens Britain?s local governments and three public sector unions representing over a million government workers in such critical areas as social services and sanitation. The Transport and General Workers? Union (TGWU), Unison, and Britain's General Union, the GMB, have advised their members to reject the governments? offer of a three percent raise they claim would do little for Britain?s lowest paid public employees. If the proposal is rejected, it will lead to a vote on nationwide industrial action and, possibly, to the first general strike Britain has seen in over twenty years.
See CHRISTOPHER ADAMS, Financial Times, February 28, 2002