By Jason Groves, Chief Political Correspondent PUBLISHED: 20:40 EST, 14 January 2014 | UPDATED: 20:40 EST, 14 January 2014 Challenge: Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey has repeatedly called for industrial action The Unite union has built a £30 million war chest to bankroll strikes in the run-up to the next election. Leaked internal documents reveal that it has poured an extra £5 million into the fund in the last 18 months alone – seemingly paying lip service to the idea of settling disputes without industrial action. Minutes from its board meeting last month also show that Unite – Labour’s biggest donor – is stepping up pressure on party leader Ed Miliband to relax strike laws introduced in the wake of the industrial chaos of the 1970s.
@highlight
Leaked documents show union has poured in £5 million in just 18 months
@highlight
General secretary Len McCluskey has repeatedly called for strikes
@highlight
Unite is Labour's biggest donor and has called on party to relax strike laws
Labour
Labour
Proposals to end the controversial system in which many union members are automatically signed up as @placeholder ‘affiliates’ have now been delayed for at least five years.