Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trade Union Congress, said workers across the country were supporting the striking railroad workers and in some cases would keep their own ballots for “justice pay”. The government is preparing for a summer of discontent, with unions taking action on behalf of workers, from doctors, nurses and local government officials to traffic wardens and postal workers. Criminal lawyers voted at the weekend to step up action for legal aid and plan several-day departures for each of the next four weeks. The TUC would not rule out co-ordination, O’Grady said, adding: “The point is that employees are co-ordinated, not by any deliberate strategy, but because millions of people now face low wages, insecurity and real pay cuts. . So of course employees who feel they have no other choice will vote. ” Ministers are seeking to keep public sector wage increases of up to 2 per cent, although the Bank of England forecasts that inflation will exceed 11 per cent by October. Although the government insists it still wants a “high wage, high-growth economy,” Simon Clarke, the secretary-general of the Treasury, told the BBC on Monday that public sector workers should not expect increases in line with inflation. On Tuesday, Network Rail’s 40,000 staff at 13 train operators will leave due to pay disputes and layoffs, with subsequent stops on Thursday and Saturday. Some 40,000 railway workers are set to go on strike on Tuesday over wage and layoffs, with further strikes on Thursday and Saturday. © Daniel Leal / AFP / Getty Images All major UK railways are expected to be disrupted, including LNER, the Avanti West Coast and many suburban railways, as well as the London Underground. It is likely to persist for days between official strikes. Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, an industry body, said the organization was still hoping to avoid a strike. “Obviously we are talking to the unions today again, but we must try to work together to try to stop it.” In a wake of the UK government’s low expectations on rail negotiations and the prospect of further labor action this summer, Kwasi Kwarteng, business secretary, plans to lift a legal ban on the use of temporary workers to replace him this week. Kwarteng is going to lift the 1973 ban by passing so-called secondary legislation – laws that a minister can pass because of the powers vested in him by other acts of parliament. As railroad groups welcomed the plan to repeal the 1973 law – an unfulfilled commitment by the Conservatives’ 2015 manifesto – the move is likely to ease pressure on staff shortages in low-skilled roles such as cleaners and station staff. It will enter into force in mid-July. The RMT railway union said it would be impossible to operate the network with agency workers, especially since the biggest disruption would be caused by a strike by signaling staff, who are not easily replaced.

MM Lynch, RMT’s secretary general, said it would be “absolutely impossible” to use agency staff to keep the railroad running. The union warns that the strike – the largest in more than 30 years – will continue until its wage demands are met. RMT members voted for a six-month strike in May, leaving room for more strikes in the summer and fall. The opposition Labor Party has called on the government to hold final talks with the unions to prevent a strike. Louise Haigh, shadow transport secretary, told BBC Radio 4 today that the government had failed to set a negotiating mandate for employers. “Not only are they boycotting the talks, they are actually blocking them. . . it is imperative that they intervene. “