Unions cancel Cable invite to address congress

Business Secretary Vince Cable gestures during his speech at South Bank University in London July 15, 2010.

LONDON (Reuters) - The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has withdrawn its invitation to Liberal Democrat Business Minister Vince Cable to address its gathering in September, opting to meet with him privately instead.

The move comes after Prime Minister David Cameron declined to speak at the event, an invitation which had attracted strong opposition from some unions, as his wife is due to give birth to their fourth child around that time.

Trade unions have been vocal in their opposition to the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government's plans to tackle a record deficit, vowing to take coordinated action to protect public sector jobs, pay and pensions.

"Rather than Vince Cable addressing Congress, which at one time had been planned, (TUC Secretary General) Brendan Barber and Vince Cable have agreed that he will meet a TUC delegation," a TUC spokeswoman said.

This would provide a more appropriate opportunity for the TUC to discuss relevant issues with Cable at length, she added.

A spokesman for business department said Cable was happy to talk to the TUC at any time.

"The question of who attends their annual congress is of course one for the TUC and he (Cable) is not offended by this decision," he said.

Cameron, whose party has a traditionally frosty relationship with unions and pioneered tough anti-union legislation in the 1980s, would have been the first Conservative prime minister to address the congress.

The militant National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers (RMT), who called for Cameron's invite to be withdrawn, had threatened to walk out of the conference hall when he took to the stage to show their disgust at his being there.

The TUC, which represents 58 trade unions and 6.5 million people, said there would now be no government ministers speaking at the congress, breaking a tradition established under the previous Labour government.

There will be external speakers however, including Bank of England Governor Mervyn King and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the TUC said.

Harriet Harman, acting leader of the Labour party -- which has strong ties to trade unions -- will also address delegates.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan)