Miliband heckled over stand against strikes

In a speech to the TUC annual conference in London, he said he understood why millions of workers were angry over changes to their pensions, adding: “But while negotiations were going on, I do believe it was a mistake for strikes to happen. I continue to believe that.

“What we need now is meaningful negotiation to prevent further confrontation over this autumn.”

Some of the 300 delegates shouted out “shame” and took issue with the Labour leader’s message.

During a question and answer session after his speech, Mr Miliband also drew shouts of disagreement when he defended academy schools, saying two in his Doncaster constituency had made a big difference to education standards.

Mary Bousted, leader of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said she had been “proud” to join a strike in June by tens of thousands of teachers and civil servants and told Mr Miliband that the Government was not prepared to negotiate a deal over its planned pension reforms.

Unions are gearing up for more industrial action in the autumn.

Mr Miliband said: “Unions can offer businesses the prospect of better management, better relationships. As you did during the recession. Of course the right to industrial action will be necessary, as a last resort.

“But in truth, strikes are always the consequence of failure. Failure on all sides. Failure we cannot afford as a nation. Instead your real role is as partners in the new economy.”

Mr Miliband drew applause for other parts of his speech, including a call for a living wage for young people, and an attack on the high level of executive pay.

Paul Kenny, leader of the GMB, said: “I have to give him credit for his courage in coming here and speaking frankly to us. What comes across is that he is not ashamed of the trade union links to the Labour Party.

But Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, said: “Ed Miliband needs to decide just whose side he is on. Criticising teachers and other workers taking strike action to defend jobs, services and pensions alienates core Labour supporters in their hundreds of thousands and is a political suicide mission.”