The boss of the rail union has accused the government of “sabotaging” negotiations aimed at stopping a wave of strikes over the Christmas period.

Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT, told Sky News that ministers have “torpedoed” talks between train operating companies and workers taking industrial action over pay and conditions.

He said that after months of negotiations, rail companies had put together a document and a set of pay scales they wanted the RMT to consider “and we would have done that”.

Politics live: Strikes every day before Christmas

“But at the last moment, including last night around about six o’clock, the government decided that they would not allow the railway companies to make that offer and instead instructed them to prepare for the strike,” he said.

Mr Lynch said while the government is claiming it wants to facilitate negotiations it has become “absolutely clear that they’re not prepared do that”.

“In fact, they sabotaged and sunk the negotiations just as they were reaching the point of conclusion,” he said.

He accused Transport Secretary Mark Harper of “obstructing talks” and also pointed the finger at Business Secretary Grant Shapps, as well as the Treasury.

“I meet with the most senior people on the railway and I’m on the phone to them constantly. They are telling me they’ve got a document ready to go.

“They’ve shown it to me and they’ve shown it to my negotiators and the government has stopped them putting that document forward.”

Mr Lynch said driver only operation trains have been put back on the table even though that is something they know unions “will never accept”.

It means a series of rail strikes are set to go ahead, on 13-14 December, 16-17 December, from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on 27 December, 3-4 January, and 6-7 January.

Government approach ‘sensible and balanced’

On Wednesday, Border Force staff became the latest workers to announce industrial action over the festive period, with bus drivers, nurses, paramedics and postal workers among those already walking out in the coming weeks in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The government has been criticised for failing to stop the strikes, with Union bosses accusing ministers of stonewalling requests for meaningful pay talks.

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, told Sky News that the strikes were “disappointing” but giving in to the union’s demands would cost the taxpayer £28bn and “you can’t spend your way out of inflation”.

She said “we do expect there will be disruption and delays”, following warnings about flight cancellations.

But she said 2,000 soldiers would be drafted in to help with Border Force roles and “we should be extremely grateful to them”.

With only one day left in December when there are no strikes – the 12th – it was put to the cabinet minister that general strikes bring down governments, as seen in the 1970s.

Ms Keegan said: “Well, I mean, that has happened in history for sure.”

However, she insisted the government was taking a “sensible and balanced” approach by not interfering in the pay negotiations, saying the disputes were between “unions and the paymasters”.

Government ‘failing to get a grip’

Unions are demanding pay rises above or in line with inflation as the UK is gripped by a recession and the cost of living rises.

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Which sectors are striking and why?

Ms Keegan suggested giving in to their pay demands would make inflation worse and everybody poorer – something unions have disputed.

Eddie Dempsey, assistant general secretary of the RMT transport union, has previously told Sky News there is “no evidence” pay increases will lead to a wage price spiral and accused ministers of being scared of a “shift in class power”.

Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Pat McFadden said the government is “failing to get a grip” on the strikes.

He added: “Even when we don’t have strikes, public services are not working properly, I can scarcely think of a public service in this country that works better after 12 years of Conservative government than what before they came into office.

“That is a damning indictment of their period of stewardship.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised “tough” new laws to limit the impact of strike action, and has not ruled out banning strikes in the emergency services.

But Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, told the PM on Wednesday “we are ready industrially and financially” to challenge any new measures.

In a joint letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, union heads accused ministers of “ignoring the main issue on the table” that is causing the strikes – public sector pay.

Highlighting “huge” pay cuts public sector workers have suffered, the union leaders warned: “With CPI inflation over 11% and RPI inflation above 14%, frontline workers are facing another massive real-terms hit to their wages.

“Nurses, ambulance staff, teachers and millions of other key workers have already seen their living standards decimated with over a decade of pay cuts and wage freezes.

“Nurses today are earning £5,000 a year less in real terms than they were in 2010 and hospitals and schools are having to set up food banks for staff.

“This cannot go on.”