Back to beer and sandwiches?

By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent

Winter of discontent paralysed Britain

It's a great headline for the Tories - the bad old days of union barons sharing beer and sandwiches with the prime minister in Downing Street are back.

They will relish the opportunity to remind Tony Blair of Harold Wilson's exasperated plea to the powerful unions to "get your tanks off my lawn" during his premiership.

And, of course, they will point out that the cosy old relationship between the unions and the last Labour government did nothing to avert the 1979 winter of discontent.

The truth of the new arrangement between the government and the unions is quite different, however.

Yes, it looks like a calculated concession by Tony Blair in his campaign to woo the unions over to his programme of public sector reform just before what is likely to be a difficult TUC conference next week.

And it will certainly infuriate business leaders who will see it as the government offering special treatment to the unions.

Remarks by TUC general secretary Brendan Barber that the new forum will be more than just a talking shop will add to those fears.

Macho noises

The development also appears to fly in the face of the prime minister's claim that his union paymasters would get "fairness not favours" from his government.

But it is far from clear exactly how influential this new body will be.

Barber has demanded influence

Certainly Health Secretary John Reid has insisted that, whatever may be debated in the forum, there will be no going back on the plans for foundation hospitals.

That does not mean that the government will not do what governments traditionally do - make all sorts of macho noises in public while stitching up a climbdown behind the scenes.

But, so far, there is no sign of that, suggesting this body will indeed be just a talking shop - a way for the unions to let off steam and feel they are having some influence.

It is also highly unlikely that the prime minister will be regularly involved in these meetings.

Sabre rattling

The picture of Tony Blair locked in comradely dispute with his union mates in a smoked filled room in No 10 and sending out for fish and chips for tea just doesn't scan.

Tony Blair has enough trouble bonding with ordinary Labour party members, let alone union leaders who, frankly, he has little time for - viewing them as an obstacle to, rather than partner in reform.

However, we are rapidly approaching the time when the long-feared clash with the unions over public sector reform may finally erupt.

Conference season is always a time for grand gestures, rash promises and sabre rattling.

Nowadays, however, the memory, the commitments and the threats don't last longer than the train journey back to London.

But, with the general election only two years away, the time for both sides to finally play their hands is rapidly approaching.