Francis Maude, the minister leading negotiations with unions over reforms to public sector pensions has appealed to 750,000 staff not to go on strike while talks are ongoing.

Mr Maude, minister for the Cabinet Office is scheduled to hold further talks with union leaders on 27 June. Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Maude expressed the hope that no public sector workers would strike while talks continue.'There is a huge amount still on the table; they will at the end still be the best available pensions,better certainly than the vast majority in the private sector.'