No 10 meeting: Union chiefs warn of bleak future

David Cameron was given "strong views" that the cuts would be "socially divisive and economically dangerous" during a meeting in 10 Downing Street yesterday.

It was the first official meeting between a Tory Prime Minister and the leaders of the union movement in 25 years.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said afterwards: "The UK is currently in the grips of a bleak midwinter. Today we warned the Prime Minister that next year promises to be even bleaker for millions of families and their communities as the spending cuts bite hard and hit jobs and services.

"We made clear to the Prime Minister our strong view that the spending cuts would both be socially divisive and economically dangerous.

"We urged him to do more to raise money from the banks as a sector that had done the most to take us into the current crisis and which had received enormous help from government.

"During the meeting there were useful discussions across a range of topics, including green growth and jobs, manufacturing and equality issues.

"We welcomed the Prime Minister's intention to continue this dialogue with similar meetings in the future, and for urgent contact to take place with Ministers on Post Office privatisation and public sector pension changes in particular."

The union leaders were offered tea, coffee and mince pies, although one described them as "deficit mince pies" as they were so small. It is understood Mr Cameron said it would be a good idea for the two sides to meet two or three times a year.

Public and Commercial Services Union general secretary Mark Serwotka said after the meeting: "David Cameron's claim that he wants to maintain a discussion with the unions is undermined by him saying in the next breath that he's not prepared to negotiate on the specific issue of the change from the RPI (retail prices index) to CPI (consumer prices index) for public sector pensions – which represents a massive cut in the value of pensions.

"If his Government will not agree to full and meaningful negotiations, then these meetings and fine words are pointless, and simply invite industrial and legal action.

"We will not allow ourselves to be drawn into accepting cuts to welfare, attacks on public services, mass job losses, and cuts to pay and pensions, with the occasional promise of tea and a cosy chat in Downing Street.

"For our opposition to be effective, we have to say there is no need for cuts, and that they are being driven by a political imperative, not out of necessity."

Downing Street described the hour-long meeting in the Cabinet Room at Number 10 as "businesslike".

Mr Cameron's spokesman said: "There was discussion about the general economic situation, public services and pensions. It was a good meeting – businesslike." Asked whether the Prime Minister took the opportunity to warn against strike action, the spokesman replied: "I don't think that was the focus of the discussion.

"I think they know our position, which is that we don't want to see strike action, we want to have a constructive dialogue with them about the issues."

He said Government departments regularly met with unions to discuss specific issues, and this process would continue. "There are issues where it clearly makes sense to have a dialogue with the unions, for example on what we are doing on skills and promoting growth and what we are doing regionally to promote growth."