A union boss has blasted claims of a “general strike”, warning they do a “disservice to our unions and their members”.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak, who represents 48 unions, told the Mirror : “Our members aren't interested in ‘the general strike’ or taking on the Government.
"Our members are interested in a decent pay rise; the Government, the employers treating them with respect, recognising that they've got genuine issues and problems.”
It comes after the Tories accused unions of coordinating industrial action in what was a “general strike” in all but name.
Unions are banned from going on strike in support of other workers' disputes. But there are no laws to stop them coordinating the timing of strikes.
It comes as National Highways workers, Border Force staff and driving examiners in parts of England go on strike on Friday.
It was announced on Thursday that more than 1,000 contracted cleaners on the rail network will take part in strike action on 31 January.
National Highways workers are also launching two more days of action on January 3 and 4.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace took a hardline stance as he visited troops filling in for Border Force staff.
Mr Wallace said he would not be "held to ransom" and there was "no magic wand" for 5.7million public sector workers.
He brazenly claimed they were "better off" than the private sector - despite private sector wages rising by 6.9% and public sector wages by just 2.7%.
"We're not going back to the 1970s where the trade union barons thought that they ran the government," he blasted.
But Mr Nowak said the Government has “a fundamental problem with working people coming together in unions, and organising and wanting to bargain with their employer”.
The new TUC chief said compromise is possible - if ministers are prepared to enter into negotiations.
"There has got to be a landing zone somewhere between the 4%-5% the Government has offered and the 19% some unions have claimed but what is crucially important is that the Government actually sits down and negotiates," he said.
Ministers are planning to pursue anti-strike legislation next year which would ensure minimum service levels on transport services - and potentially in other industries - during strikes.
Mr Nowak said the Government is opening itself up to a claim at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) if it goes ahead with the new law.
He told the Mirror: “We'd be prepared to challenge it legally. We're already challenging the Government legally on the use of agency workers to undermine strike action, something that Margaret Thatcher didn't even do.
“We’re pretty clear that the cumulative impact of all of these proposals would effectively undermine the right to take effective industrial action in the UK.
“And that potentially puts the UK government in breach of the International Labour conventions - ILO conventions - and potentially the ECHR as well.
“From our point of view, I mean, we will fight politically and legally to stop these unjust proposals getting onto the statute book.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "This Government is spinning a web of lies to divert the blame for who is really responsible for the economic crisis engulfing the country. The unions 'holding the country to ransom' is another to add to their long list.
"Ben Wallace's comments are puerile. The truth is that it is bandit capitalism that's holding the country to ransom."
Mr Nowak earlier accused ministers of "sabotaging efforts to reach settlements".
He urged the Government and employers to "work with unions to end Britain's living standards nightmare".
"UK workers are on course for two decades of lost pay. This is the longest squeeze on earnings in modern history.
"We can't go on like this. We can't be a country where nurses are having to use food banks, while City bankers get unlimited bonuses."
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