The biggest HR and development professional body in Europe has released findings showing just 16 per cent of public sector employees trust their senior leaders.

"Trade unions have the power to disrupt only if employees trust them more than they trust management," said Mike Emmott, CIPD's employee relations adviser.

"The fundamental need is not to 'manage the trade unions' it is to manage the employment relationship and communicate the case for change.

"However it is also incumbent on the government to consider the policy options open to it for reducing the risk of disruptive and damaging industrial action by public service employees, such as banning strike action of those involved in the delivery of essential services. If the Government was forced to go down this route it would be a sign of its failure to make the case for change to public sector employees."

Another survey by CIPD reveals more than four in ten employees are in favour of banning public sector workers from striking if they are involved in the delivery of essential services.

Other policy suggestions from the CIPD include legislation requiring parties to public service disputes to take part in compulsory arbitration prior to industrial action, and balloting changes to ensure votes are counted separately for each employer.

Mr Emmott continues: "Government must strive to avoid this situation at all costs as it would mean any attempt at trying to lead though consensus had failed. For the unions too, the stakes are high – if they overplay their hand and take industrial action on issues where they don't have public sympathy they will create conditions which make it more likely that the government will implement one of the measures outlined in this paper, aimed at blunting the threat of strike action.

"Both sides have heavy duty weapons available to them but neither has much to gain from deploying them. Unions, government, frontline workers and public alike have far more to gain from a strategy focused on building trust and avoiding conflict."

Susannah Fairbairn