Hundreds of thousands of public-sector workers stepped towards a widespread confrontation with the government over pay yesterday, with the Con-Dem coalition facing a summer of resistance.

In schools, the health service and local authorities, Britain’s three biggest unions are launching ballots on strike action.

Public-sector workers have suffered four years of austerity, 440,000 job losses, privatisation, pay freezes and real-terms pay cuts of 18 per cent.