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Danny Alexander has warned trade unions not to "misrepresent" the government.
"I know there are a minority in the trade unions who will deliberately misrepresent what this government stands for because they are spoiling for a fight," he told the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool.
"Please don't allow their political motivations to push you into doing the wrong thing for the country. We do not want to take you on. We want to take you with us."
On the first full day of the conference, the chief secretary to the Treasury warned that some elements are trying to "misrepresent the government's aims as he appeals for public sector workers to co-operate to push through cuts in public spending.
He said he does not want to "take on" nurses, teachers and police" over cuts, but "take them with us".
It is expected that more than 2,000 TUC members are to picket the conference centre in Albert Dock over the coalition's plans for spending cuts.
In an interview with the Observer, deputy prime minister and party leader Nick Clegg praised his coalition partner David Cameron and said he regrets calling him "fake" during the election campaign.
His remarks come as a ComRes poll for the Sunday Mirror and Independent on Sunday newspapers shows 52 per cent of people who voted for the LibDems in May agreed the party appeared to have "sold out" their principles by entering coalition with the Conservatives.
Lib Dem support is just 15 percent, down from 23 percent at the time of the election and 18 percent 10 days ago, according to the poll of more than 2,000 adults.
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