According to RMT, the Government is “setting the contract negotiation parameters” of 14 ship operators and is preventing them from making new concessions.

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents the affected train operators, described the latest strikes as “completely unnecessary”.

In response to RMT’s announcement, a spokesman for Rail Delivery Group said: “We have currently made three offers but RMT executives have blocked them with no convincing explanation.

“We are still open to negotiations and we have said over and over again that we want to raise wages for our people, but until the union leadership and executives agree on what they want and engage in good faith with the 30% revenue shortfall that the industry continues to grapple with post-covid, it will be difficult to move forward.

“Sadly, it’s our employees, our customers and communities across the country that rely on the thriving rail line to suffer the consequences.”

Members of the RMT in May extended the union’s industrial mandate to continue strike action for another six months.

Why does Aslef driver refuse to work overtime?

The train drivers’ union has been embroiled in a year-long pay dispute, having staged multiple strikes since last summer.

RDG has posted a 4% increase in 2022, followed by another 4% increase in 2023.

Aslef’s Mr Whelan said the proposal “clearly not designed to be accepted” because inflation is much higher, which means the offer represents a pay cut in real terms.