Workers will be prepared to strike in protest at losing company pensions, the TUC general secretary has warned.

Speaking to the National Association of Pension Funds, Brendan Barber argued that members felt "betrayed and angry".

"When there is no will by the employer to save a scheme, then unions are prepared to take action," he said.

"We have already seen industrial action, more is currently threatened and if further attempts to cut pensions are made, then the inevitable result will be further industrial action.

"Workers feel let down, betrayed and angry at the retreat from good pensions provision by too many employers."

Barber warned that tension would only increase if boardroom "double standards" continued.

"Too often these days, we see companies piling huge amounts into the pensions of directors while claiming that pensions for staff are too expensive," he said.

"We have seen some frankly despicable examples of companies shutting salary-related schemes for staff but keeping them in the boardroom and cases of supposedly closed schemes admitting new directors.

"This irresponsible damage by a small number of firms is doing great damage to the public perception of British business."