71.   It was unclear when they would resume in a land where such strike action has been virtually unknown in three decades of rising living standards.

72.   Jones said he would only support strike action if it was solely for better pay and conditions for players in the domestic Sheffield Shield competition.

73.   KLM, the flag-carrying Dutch airline, Friday appealed to its pilots not to carry out threatened strike action next week.

74.   Known as the CGT, the union is working to lure the private sector into a joint strike action, thus raising the stakes.

75.   Late Thursday, ScotRail managing director Nick Brown urged train drivers to reject the union call for strike action.

76.   LMA chief executive John Barnwell said while the problem needed to be made public, there was no reason for strike action.

77.   Maintenance workers had threatened strike action if the four-month old dispute was not resolved.

78.   Many carried posters calling for strike action.

79.   May has been reluctant to talk about strike action.

80.   May said strike action remained a final option but hoped the letter would provoke new discussions between the warring parties.