Talks continue to avoid mass rail disruptions this week
If talks fail today, unions have called for the largest walk out in 30 years
Talks between rail bosses and unions will continue today to avoid the largest planned rail strike in 30 years.
Steve Montgomery, the chairman of the industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said a settlement in the dispute was still possible, but that the RMT had to accept the reform of “outdated” working practices.
Union leaders have accused the Government of "inflaming" tensions over the rail dispute ahead of several days of travel chaos because of train and Tube strikes.
The TUC is calling on the Westminster government to adopt a positive role in the dispute, saying it was "inflaming tensions" with comments such as threatening to "revoke" workers' legal rights.
Services on the railways and London Underground will be crippled from Tuesday in the biggest walkout in the industry for more than 30 years in a row over pay, jobs and conditions should today’s talks fail.
Which train staff are going on strike?
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail (NR) and 13 train operators will strike on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with only around one in five trains running and disruption to services on days following the action.
The RMT and Unite is also holding a 24-hour walkout on London Underground which will cause huge disruption to the Tube.
Inflaming tensions
The TUC said rail workers in Wales have reached agreements with rail operators on pay and job protections while in Scotland there are "meaningful negotiations" taking place.
The TUC said ministers in Westminster were insisting on imposing cuts and planning to change the law so that employers can draft in agency workers in during industrial action, which it added was reminiscent of the action recently taken by P&O.
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "The Government has the power to help end this dispute but rather than working in good faith to find a negotiated settlement, ministers are inflaming tensions and trying to pitch worker against worker.
"Instead of threatening to do a P&O on these workers and rip up their rights, ministers should be getting people around the table to help agree a fair deal."
Ms O'Grady said nobody takes strike action lightly but maintained that rail staff have been left with "no other option".
Pressure being felt by workers
Rail Delivery Group chairman Steve Montgomery said talks will continue today, adding: "We do want to offer them something but we have to have reform.
"There is room for compromise. We have got to work together, but we can resolve it. This is resolvable."
A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: "We are acutely aware of the cost-of-living pressures being felt by workers and families across the UK.
"Every business wants to support their staff and the railway is no exception.
"But, as an industry we have to change our ways of working and improve productivity to help pay our own way - the alternatives of asking taxpayers to shoulder the burden or passengers to pay higher fares when they too are feeling the pinch simply isn't fair."
The strikes will affect a number of events including the Glastonbury festival and London concerts by Elton John and the Rolling Stones, as well as school exams.