Senior union leaders today predicted a surge in strike action for 2011 on a scale not seen since the campaign to abolish the poll tax.

Mark Serwotka, the leader of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said strikes in the spring were "inevitable" and could affect the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, said it was going to be a "horrible" year, with cuts in benefits and public services and an increase in unemployment.

And RMT general secretary, Bob Crow, said the "fightback" against cuts would see public and private sector workers take to the picket lines.

Serwotka told the Times: "Strikes are inevitable. We are looking at the spring. The more of us that stand together against the cuts, the more problems we can create. Unless you look like you want a fight, they won't negotiate. The government has to see we are serious."

He said the unions would not specifically target the royal wedding at the end of April but added: "Actions around Easter have quite an effect because so much is happening at that time of year. The end of April, beginning of May would be best. The royal wedding would not be a factor in our planning but nor would it be a factor to avoid."

A PCS spokesman said it was a mere coincidence if the strikes were timed to occur around the time of the royal wedding.

He said: "We are opposed to cuts to public sector pensions. Any strike over public sector pensions is designed to force the government to withdraw any plans it has to devalue pensions."

In his new year message, Barber said: "It's hard to pick out the unkindest cut of all, but a top contender must be the 10% cut in housing benefit that kicks in after someone has been unemployed for more than a year."

The TUC leader warned that the government could also have a horrible year, predicting growing anger about increased student tuition fees and cutbacks in public sector projects such as new schools.

"What is becoming clear to people is just how unfair the coalition's policies are. Those who did least to cause the crash are being made to take the nastiest medicine with the worst side-effects.

"Spending cuts inevitably hit those on low and middle incomes, while taxes, such as a 'Robin Hood tax' and real efforts to deal with tax avoidance, can be targeted on those who can afford to pay.

"Yet even the modest tax contribution chosen by the coalition is VAT – the unfairest tax of all. The British people are never that interested in politics, but we do have a deep sense of fairness that goes across traditional party lines.

"As none of these policies were put to voters before the election, this could well be the year that the country starts to say no to government in a way that they have not since middle Britain made a previous Conservative government abolish the poll tax."

Barber said a demonstration in London in March against spending cuts looked like being one of the biggest events the TUC had ever organised, adding: "This is going to be a year when many people suffer, but it just could be the year when the campaign for change really gets going."

The Times reported senior union figures will come together at a TUC meeting early in the new year to discuss their response to the cuts.

A TUC spokesperson said: "There is nothing new about TUC affiliated unions co-ordinating their responses where disputes have arisen. The TUC regularly brings together public sector unions – in the civil service, health, education and local government sectors – to discuss ongoing issues."

In his new year message, Crow said: "2010 saw the initial skirmishes in the fightback against the ConDem cuts, led by a magnificent and resurgent students' movement – 2011 will see those protests escalate into a popular movement that will match the success of the anti-poll tax campaign and RMT members will once again be right in the front line.

"We can expect to see workers in both public and private sectors out on the picket lines fighting for jobs and against savage attacks on pensions and standards of living. There is no reason for working people to pay the price for a crisis we didn't create and which is wholly down to the banks, speculators and politicians.

"RMT has already rejected a 5.2% pay offer on Network Rail, and with the Olympics now looming large we expect transport workers to get a fair deal for delivering the huge increase in passengers that will be generated by the games to all the locations hosting events.

"We've seen in the past couple of weeks that this ConDem government is on the ropes. With the individual members of the cabinet so obnoxious it's no surprise that they all seem to hate each other. The cracks at the top of the so-called coalition are so wide even Vince Cable and Ann Widdecombe could dance a tango right through them without touching the sides.

"This political fix is an old-fashioned shotgun marriage of the greedy and self-seeking. Shotgun marriages end one of two ways – in divorce or with someone getting their brains blown out."