Massive public sector strike ballot planned in UK

Hundreds of thousands of jobcentre and benefit office workers, museum staff, driving test examiners and other civil servants are to be balloted in Britain on a series of strikes in a worsening dispute over pensions which threatens widespread unrest in the run-up to the general election, it was announced today.

Around 290,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union will be balloted over the next few weeks and will stage their first walkout on March 23 if they support industrial action.