Union delegates at the TUC's annual gathering backed a motion which urged an alliance of unions and communities under threat at its congress. The approval of industrial action if more cuts go ahead mirror their fears about the breadth of the coalition's spending reductions. TUC chief Brendan Barber said he favoured "a broad-based campaign… to look to harness public opinion behind the case for a different approach to managing our economy." He spoke against a purely critical campaign, asking unions to promote an "alternative to austerity that encourages growth and jobs".
