As the coalition falls out over public sector pensions it shows the importance of trade unions standing together to defend the interests of working people.
Health secretary Andrew Lansley's devastating critique of the pension plans - revealed by the Daily Telegraph - demonstrates a split at the heart of government.
In contrast the strike by hundreds of thousands of civil service servants and education workers acting together on 30 June showed our members' deep concerns about the government's pensions proposals, concerns clearly shared by at least one cabinet minister.
If the government ploughs ahead with plans to make public servants work longer, and pay much more, for lower pensions, then members of other unions will be joining us in taking further strike action in the autumn.
In his leaked five page letter to the Treasury Mr Lansley said that unless the proposals are changed "it is difficult to see how a negotiated agreement could be reached with the trade unions."
The health secretary called the reforms "inappropriate" and "unrealistic."
As TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said today: "This is a letter that could have been written by any of the union negotiators."
Many arguments made by trade unions in negotiations with the government were backed up by the health secretary.
Mr Lansley agrees with us that the changes:
· Will discriminate against women workers
· Will not meet the coalition's pledge to maintain gold standard pensions
· Will put an extra burden on the social security budget as pensioners need more support
· Are based on the assumption that public sector workers have much longer periods of continuous employment than is in fact the case
· Will increase contributions, and reduce payments, so much that the many people quit the schemes
PCS research among civil servants shows that if contributions rise sharply 23% of PCS members would consider leaving the pension scheme. That could kill the scheme and force people into poverty in retirement.
It would also be more expensive for taxpayers as the government would still have to pay current pensions while receiving no contributions from those who leave schemes.
In the run-up to the strike on 30 June government statements about the affordability of public sector pensions - including prime minister David Cameron's claim that the system was "in danger of going broke" - were exposed by the media as deliberately misleading and ministers were forced to backtrack.
The government commissioned Hutton report showed that between now and 2060 the cost of public sector pensions will fall from 1.9% to 1.4% of gross domestic product.
The government should withdraw these discredited proposals immediately.
Even senior Conservative members of the cabinet can see that there is an alternative.
The coalition must now heed Mr Lansley's warnings and negotiate on the key issues if it is to avoid more widespread industrial action in the autumn.
We are serious about representing our members' interests by preparing for further strike action in response to these draconian plans. We will not allow everything our predecessors fought for to be undermined. The government should heed Mr Lansley's advice.