Less than 10 per cent of the Civil Service workforce has voted for strike action and only about a third of teachers, which shows the real lack of support for the kind of widespread action union leaders are hoping for.

Reform of public sector pensions is inevitable, but the government will ensure that public sector pensions will still be among the very best, with a guaranteed pension which very few private sector staff now enjoy.

But they will be paid later because people live longer. And public sector staff will pay more, for a fairer balance between what they pay and what other taxpayers pay.