The TUC voted to examine the feasibility of holding a general strike last year.
He has cut civil-service pay by 5%, raised VAT and ridden out a general strike.
But, besides that, the government backed a campaign of passive resistance in effect, a general strike.
The prime minister, the chancellor and others condemn talk of a general strike as futile and irresponsible.
The country's largest trade union, the General Union of Tunisian Workers, called a general strike for Friday.
On July 8th-9th trade unions staged a general strike, claiming the government had reneged on various promises.
And on Wednesday the 14th, a general strike in Spain and Portugal is likely to reverberate across Europe.
FORBES: Where Is The Occupy Movement in The Week of The General Strike?
That violence came after a general strike by Palestinians protesting an Israeli tunnel.
Trade unions in Peru held a general strike against President Alberto Fujimori's plans to run for a third term.
Italy's three main labour groups jointly declared a general strike for next month.
And though the TUC voted for a campaign on pay, it rejected a firebrand amendment calling for a general strike.
ECONOMIST: The trade unions are not as fearsome as they look
Mr McCluskey also played down talk of a general strike before a debate on the issue by TUC members on Wednesday.
So in the week of a general strike that will be witnessed around the world what do you make of it?
FORBES: Where Is The Occupy Movement in The Week of The General Strike?
On Friday, a general strike called by the rebels brought life in many parts of the country to a virtual standstill.
The country's second-biggest union, Unison, which has 1.3 million members, says it supports the idea of a general strike "in principle".
The French government raised wages for the low-paid, a key demand of the protestors, who ended a general strike in March.
The Confederation of Venezuelan Workers has been threatening a general strike such as the one that preceded the April coup attempt.
ECONOMIST: Hugo Chavez and his government are hanging on. Just
Next, the trade union federation threatened a general strike and few believe that the union is not being used by Mr Zeroual's enemies.
Bombastic if outlandish talk of a general strike does little to help Mr Miliband.
ECONOMIST: Labour and the unions need each other more than ever
At home, the Palestinian legislature called for a general strike Monday to protest Israeli plans for a Jewish housing project in East Jerusalem.
With the main trade-union confederation already threatening a general strike against Mr Chavez, his best bet would seem to be to make concessions.
Trade unions and taxi-drivers, who owe their licences to the Fatah-dominated intelligence services, declared a general strike and closed roads, paralysing city centres.
Already Mr Kim has faced down the leaders of trade unions who had threatened to organise a general strike in response to threatened layoffs.
They say they have concerns about the legality of holding a general strike, which would need to be overcome before they could support it.
Over the past two days, the whole Kabylie region has ground to a halt following a call for a general strike by local leaders.
Violence has flared in Bangladesh as the country's largest Islamist party enforces a general strike to demand the release of its leaders from prison.
Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank staged a general strike Monday, closing stores and offices in protest against Israel's takeover of the building.
Zimbabwe's trade union movement says it has reduced to just one day a general strike called to press the government to restore law and order.
Or it can launch a general strike, a radical step the leadership have so far been reluctant to authorise, or other forms of civil disobedience.
Public employment will not be cut substantially as trade union leaders have already announced a general strike in retaliation, if ever the unthinkable were to happen.
FORBES: Europe Suffers A Failure On The Part Of Its Leaders To Lead
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