Unions to inflict blows on Blair

Moerates and the hard-Left in the big unions today combined in an unholy alliance to inflict a series of rebuffs and defeats on Tony Blair.

Derek Simpson, the hardliner now in joint control of Amicus, Britain's biggest private sector union, promised that the Prime Minister would depart after his speech to the TUC conference tomorrow with a "f*****g migraine".

He said his union's million members would be invited to tear up many of the so-called "sweetheart deals" with employers barring strike action.

At the same time, the TUC's General Secretary John Monks, customarily a Blair ally, declared himself a "militant" on the issue of pensions and demanded government action over the move to wind up final salary schemes and replace them with less generous alternatives. And another Blair ally, Bill Morris of the Transport & General Workers Union, vowed to kick up trouble over the euro.

Key aides at Downing Street have spent weeks behind the scenes trying to defuse a week of trouble. The signs today were that the efforts had largely failed.

? On pay and conditions, Mr Simpson promised to "tear up the form book" on industrial relations with at least 30 existing deals with companies already targeted for rewriting.

Dave Prentis, the leader of the biggest public sector union, Unison, has threatened a revolt over government moves to create a "two-tier" workforce by bringing in private finance for London Underground, the health service and elsewhere.

? On pensions, Roger Lyons, the other joint leader with Mr Simpson of Amicus, said that a recent survey of his members showed that more than 90 per cent were ready to strike in defence of final salary pension schemes.

? On the euro, Mr Morris said the time had come to discard the compromise which had held the TUC together broadly in favour of

British membership. He declared: "The mask of so-called unity within the TUC must now come to an end. There is no unity on the single currency."

The Prime Minister's appearance tomorrow will be his first full-scale speech to the TUC in two years. Last year his address was called off as news of the terror attacks on America arrived.

It is also his first public trial of strength with the Left, which has been making substantial gains in elections for a new generation of trade union leaders.

Mr Simpson himself ousted Sir Ken Jackson two months ago largely because the incumbent was seen as being too close to Downing Street.

And union leaders today were already falling over themselves to demonstrate their independence from, and hostility to, New Labour.

Left-winger Bob Crow, of the RMT, responding to Mr Simpson's threat to give the Prime Minister a migraine, quipped: "I'll give him an Anadin."

However, the development that will give Mr Blair and his team most cause for concern is the discontent increasingly being voiced by the softliners, up to now mainly sympathetic to his government.