Union leaders have been meeting with John Prescott about union members' fury over government plans to downgrade public sector pensions schemes from April 1 2005. Government plans include raising the retirement age from 60 to 65 and the early retirement age from 50 to 55.

Up to 1.4 million public sector workers could take part in strikes before the general election in protest against these attacks on public sector pensions schemes.

An informal consultative ballot of UNISON members in January returned an 82% Yes vote for strike action, with many branches reporting a Yes vote in excess of 90% and excellent response rates. Other public sector unions are balloting members now.

UNISON United Left General Secretary candidate and Lambeth Branch Secretary Jon Rogers said that branch secretaries on the ground were very clear that union members would not accept any changes to public sector pensions schemes.

'Nobody who cares for UNISON members' interests should want to see the official strike ballot (which is due to start this week) called off,' he said. 'Our members want to push forward and that is what we'll do.'

'The government believed that it could press ahead with this attack on public service workers' living standards because it had neutralised trade union opposition,' Jon Rogers said.

'The government was wrong. Neither the union nor the government can ignore union members' response to this issue. Union members have organised on a scale that concerns the government greatly and they have created an advantage that needs to be taken. Those of us who work on the shop floor know full well that members will not accept the UNISON leadership backing down to make life easier for New Labour before the general election.'

Jon Rogers said it was vital that UNISON members kept preparing for this Friday's TUC Pensions Day of Action on 18 February. Unions around the country are organising joint marches, rallies and protest events this Friday to make their feelings about government attacks on pensions schemes known.