Unions vow to fight ministers’ proposals to curtail right to strike on railways

Faced with threat of national action, government says it will consider imposing minimum service levels'

Unions have pledged to fight ministers' desperate" proposals to force staff to work should a national rail strike be called.

With ballots on industrial action across Network Rail and 15 English train operators closing this week, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said the government would consider imposing minimum service levels", effectively curtailing the right to strike.