Trade union leaders are calling for a mass demonstration against Government cuts.
The TUC says it hopes as many as a million people will join in "a huge event" planned for March 26 - and they say strikes could form part of co-ordinated protests.
Union chiefs reject claims they are planning a general strike, but have agreed to work together to maximise opposition to David Cameron's plans for spending cuts.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "No one is talking about a general strike, but of course these attacks on our members could well give rise to industrial action around specific disputes."
"Today's meeting was to consider the appropriate industrial response to the volatile cocktail of issues that face union members across the public sector - the pay freeze, job cuts and attacks on pensions."
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: "After the protest I hope the government will sit down and change direction.
"I think that's highly unlikely and what's happening today at the TUC is that we're making contingency plans to ensure that if, as a last resort, we cannot change their mind we are preparing to plan industrial action."
