Warning over Royal Wedding strike action

Labour leader Ed Miliband said he would “totally condemn” any attempt to disrupt the Royal Wedding or the London Olympics with strike action.

In a warning shot to union bosses, Mr Miliband said that strikes were a “legitimate last resort” in industrial disputes, but he did not want to see them used in a co-ordinated attempt to undermine the coalition Government, insisting that this was not the way to bring about a change in power.

He insisted there must be no going back to the divisive and politically-driven disputes of the 1980s, such as the miners’ strike led by Arthur Scargill, which divided the nation and presented Labour with a hugely-damaging challenge to its credibility as a potential government.

Mr Miliband’s comments come after rail union Aslef suggested that Tube drivers could strike on April 29, the day Prince William marries Kate Middleton, while Unite general secretary Len McCluskey declined to rule out industrial action during the 2012 Olympics.