By Jon Craig, chief political correspondent | Sky News
Britain's trade union movement are due to gather to endorse calls for strikes and civil disobedience against cuts in pensions and public services.
The 143rd TUC Congress , meeting in London for the first time since 1902, will debate demands for co-ordinated strikes in an "autumn of discontent" and a campaign against Coalition spending cuts.
In a move aimed at saving money and - according to some union leaders - lowering the conference's profile and reducing the impact of militants like Bob Crow, the TUC is meeting at its London HQ, Congress House, instead of a traditional venue like Blackpool, Brighton or Manchester.
But the conference is still expected to back demands from left-wing union leaders on Wednesday for strikes in October and November against reform of public sector pensions, even though talks between the TUC and Government ministers are still going on.
There will also be fury over moves announced by ministers at the weekend to speed up moves towards raising the retirement age to 67.
Ed Miliband will address the conference and answer questions from delegates on Tuesday and could face a union backlash over failing to back strikes over pensions and his proposals to curb the voting strength of the unions at the Labour Party Conference.
In his speech this morning opening the conference, the TUC's moderate general secretary Brendan Barber will call for a "movement for the alternative" against Government spending cuts and calls to scrap the 50p tax rate.
"We've seen the deepest cuts in the UK since the 1920s," he will say.
"Deeper cuts than in any country outside of those with sovereign debt crises. And cuts that would make even Margaret Thatcher look like a spendthrift.
"We were told 'we are all in this together'. But the cuts have hit middle and low income workers in both private and public sectors, and have hardly been noticed by those who did so well out of the banking bubble."
On tax and banking reform, Mr Barber will say: "Let's make the case for tax justice. Let's say loud and clear to the Chancellor that plans to cut tax for the richest one per cent by scrapping the 50p rate are a disgrace - and we will fight them tooth and nail.
"And on a day when the Vickers Report fails to deal with what really needs to be done to transform our banks, let's argue for real reform of our financial system, turning the banks from casinos that enrich themselves to utilities that serve us."
The leader of Britain's biggest union Unite, Len McCluskey will today speak in a debate on trade union rights and call for civil disobedience as well as strikes in protest against Government cuts.
"If this Government considers tax avoidance is lawful and can go unpunished then we should plan for anti-union law avoidance in the same spirit," the left-wing former Liverpool docker dubbed "Red Len" will say.
And referring to an occupation by trade unionists in Wisconsin over jobs and union membership, he will declare: "These Bullingdon Bolsheviks in Government are threatening to bring in still further laws to attack free trade unionism.
"If they do we must be clear how we will respond - we will bring Wisconsin to Westminster."
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS public sector union, claimed last week that "millions" of workers would strike against cuts in their pensions.
But speaking on Murnaghan on Sky News on Sunday, Unison leader Dave Prentis struck a more moderate tone, saying that strikes over pensions would be a "last resort".
And Danny Alexander, Treasury Chief Secretary and one of the Government Ministers involved in talks with TUC leaders about public sector pension changes, dismissed strike threats as "sabre-rattling".
Tory Deputy Chairman Michael Fallon added: "At a time when the Coalition government is working to get Labour's deficit under control, Ed Miliband's union backers are planning a campaign of civil disobedience which would cause huge disruption.
"Ed Miliband needs to stand up to the union barons and show he is on the side of hard-working families."
But another strike is being threatened by Mr Crow, firebrand leader of the RMT transport union, over proposals to reform the railways drawn up for the Government by Sir Roy McNulty in a value-for-money study.
"McNulty would leave no rail worker and no section of our industry unscathed whether they work for the train operators, Network Rail or one of the many sub-contractors," said Mr Crow.
"Everyone has a stake in this campaign and, if the Government decide to push on with the plans, we are making it clear that every worker will be balloted for action right across the rail industry
