Mass walkouts could be commonplace in a new "age of militancy" as pay deals are curbed, according to Policy Exchange.
The stark message came as fears grew of a summer of discontent with a series of strikes already planned or likely, including a possible national postal strike.
Holidaymakers and railway passengers could all be hit while the row over foreign workers is set to deepen with plans to ballot workers at power stations and oil refineries following the recent unofficial action.
One union warned British workers have become increasingly militant and angry with pay the cost of a recession "they did not create".
Neil O'Brien, director of Policy Exchange, said: "There is a slight increase in militancy at the moment but that is nothing compared to what is going to happen once the brakes are slammed on public spending.
"This could be a taste of things to come. A possible new age of militancy.
"When we suddenly go from a very very rapid increase in pay to huge pressure on public spending, it is possible that we could have something develop like the 1970s."
During the 1970s the number of strikes averaged between 2,000 and 3,000 every year, peaking in 1979 when almost 30 million working days were lost due to industrial action.
Geoff Martin, a spokesman for RMT, said workers are becoming increasingly militant.
"I think what is happening is people are being expected to pay a heavy price for a recession that they did not create," he said.
"Increasingly people are realising there are expected to carry the can for what is none of their doing.
"That's why we are getting this rise in militancy. A summer of discontent is an overused phrase but the RMT is not surprised people are angry enough and saying 'we have had enough of this and better do something about this'."
As the recession deepens there is growing unrest among workers and the country is already bracing itself for a number of walkouts over the coming weeks.
Postal services face being crippled with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) almost certain to call a national ballot on whether to strike over jobs, pay and services.
A series of regional strikes have already been held, with more planned over the summer, but sources at the union said a national vote is now almost certain to be called in the coming weeks.
Holidaymakers face disruption with a two day strike among some UK Border Agency staff due to start on Wednesday (Aug 5), in a dispute over plans to merge the duties of immigration and customs staff. Talks were continuing yesterday to resolve the dispute.
Hundreds of thousands of rail passengers also face delays with planned stoppages by members of the Rail, Maritime and Maritime union and train drivers' union ASLEF.
Three further 48-hour stoppages have been called over the next three weeks as a result of a dispute with the train operator, National Express East Anglia.
Industrial action is also planned on a number of other lines over the coming weeks.
On Arriva Cross Country members of RMT are refusing to collect litter, meaning that passengers will have to travel on rubbish-strewn trains.
This will mean disruption on trains linking Liverpool Street to Colchester, Norwich and Southend Victoria.
Passengers on Northern Rail also face disruption on Aug 6 as a result of a joint strike by both RMT and ASLEF.
In addition passengers on London Midland could also face disruption with station staff, who are members of ASLEF, also balloting on industrial action.
The GMB is also to ballot for official strike action among members involved in power stations and oil refinery sites.
It follows a series of unofficial strikes this year in a row over the hiring of migrant workers over British staff.
And workers are still occupying the Vestas wind turbine blade factory on the Isle of Wight in a bid to stop it being closed.
Food deliveries from the RMT were allowed into the Vestas plant in Newport, England yesterday, but were cut off by Vestas management this afternoon.

Protesters at the Isle of Wight factory celebrated the delivery of supermarket bags filed with groceries, which entered with a police escort. This morning, the sixteen remaining occupiers were told to prepare a list of items for future deliveries. But, according to "Mark", an occupier in the Vestas plant, this afternoon Vestas management reversed their decision, terming the August 1 food delivery a one-time "goodwill gesture" and saying food would no longer be allowed in. The food delivery followed a formal complaint by the RMT that denying the occupiers food was a violation of their human rights. The people inside the factory have been conducting their occupation since July 20, in protest against the closure of the factory, which produces wind turbine blades for the generation of wind power, and the loss of 625 jobs in the Isle of Wight and nearby areas.

Mark went on to praise the "brave people" who have circumvented the security ring around the plant in order to get food and other items to the occupiers. An electric kettle thrown at the end of a rope up to the occupiers is said to be working well. Mark also noted that Louise Christian, a prominent British human rights lawyer, is now representing the Vestas occupiers. 

While the number of occupiers at the Vestas plant — originally nearly thirty, now only sixteen — have dwindled, Mark says the ones who remain are "very determined" and furthermore hold no ill will toward their co-workers who have left the occupation. In particular, the occupiers offered sympathy for Luke Paxton, who they say left the occupation due to a combination of personal issues and malnutrition brought on by the deprivation of food. Paxton, Mark said, has the remaining occupiers' "full support" and continues to campaign for the Vestas workers.

Mark also clarified the origins of the occupation. In contrast to claims that green socialist group Workers' Climate Action were behind the occupation, Mark presented a more nuanced picture: the Vestas workers' initial contacts were with veterans of the occupation of Visteon's auto parts plants, with the AWL, SWP and Socialist Party becoming involved later with "quite a big involvement" from all groups. Members of Workers' Climate Action attended Vestas workers' meetings and gave their opinions, but, Mark says, a committee organised by the workers and composed of workers was making all the decisions.

Mark also strongly rejected the support of Solidarity, a "nationalist trade union" closely associated with the BNP. In a July 24 statement, Solidarity backed the Vestas workers, with union executive member David Kerr saying "We are behind the Vestas workers 100 per cent. British jobs must be protected." Mark, in reply, told ''Wikinews'': "We do not want their support...they go against a lot of the things people believe in here. We have Polish workers with us. They're our friends."

Most of the Vestas occupiers remain independent of trade unions, with only three of the sixteen people inside being members of any union.

Mark closed with a message of solidarity with the occupiers of two Thomas Cook branches in Dublin, Ireland, whose employees began a sit-in at their offices on Friday after the announcement of surprise closures. "We fully support what you're doing. Don't back down...do not be pushed around, do not be intimidated".

The Vestas occupiers have also exchanged messages of solidarity with SsangYong Motor Company in South Korea. Workers at SsangYong have been occupying their factory since May 22 in protest against a 36% cut in employees there.

The occupation continues accompanied by a warning of increased union unrest in Britain. Neil O'Brien of centre-right think tank Policy Exchange told ''The Daily Telegraph'' that, while labour unrest had increased, the current state of affairs is "nothing compared to what is going to happen once the brakes are slammed on public spending."