IT was inevitable that a Government intent on driving through unprecedented public sector cuts would face industrial action sooner or later.

And yesterday’s strike by hundreds of thousands of public sector workers over proposed pension changes is a clear demonstration of the depth of concern over the road David Cameron’s administration has chosen.

The perception that the Government has cut too deep and too fast, without enough consideration for the social consequences, goes beyond public sector union members and it is a concern we all share.

That said, Britain risks an unhealthy “us and them” divide between the public and private sectors unless pension changes are instigated across the board.

With an ageing population, something has to give and it is simply not fair or sustainable for the private sector to have to shoulder a disproportionate burden.

The Government has made mistakes in its handling of the dispute, notably the ill-advised comments of Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, who warned two weeks ago that it would be a “colossal” mistake for unions to reject the best deal they could hope for.

But we also question the timing of yesterday’s strike while negotiations were continuing.

It is in the country’s interests that talks proceed with an appreciation on both sides that compromises will be required.