British prime minister David Cameron will call today on public sector unions to call off planned industrial action over proposed pension reform.
The British government is finalising contingency plans to deal with the biggest outbreak of industrial action since the coalition was formed, with up to 750,000 workers set to stage a 24-hour walkout on Thursday.
The stoppage, by members of four unions, will go ahead despite two hours of talks yesterday between ministers and union leaders failed to resolve the row over pensions.
Differences remain over government proposals to raise the pension age, to link pension values to the consumer prices index instead of the retail prices index and to increase workers' contributions.
Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), the University and College Union and the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are expected to take part in the strike.
Mr Cameron is due to make his plea to the unions in a speech this afternoon.
The scale of the disruption will become clearer today as schools decide whether to close and parents learn if they have to make alternative arrangements for their children.
Thursday’s planned strikes were discussed at the regular weekly cabinet meeting in Downing Street this morning.