Cobra emergency meeting called for walkouts – full list of UK December strike dates

Cabinet Minister Oliver Dowden will convene the Government's Emergency Committee to discuss contingency plans for staff walkouts, including nurses , paramedics, railway workers and border force officers Nursing leaders have offered to suspend strikes if the government comes to the table (

Image: In pictures via Getty Images)

Ministers will call an emergency Cobra meeting on the wave of strikes set to grip Britain before Christmas.

Cabinet Minister Oliver Dowden will convene the government's emergencies committee for decisive talks on Monday and Wednesday ahead of walkouts by workers including nurses, paramedics, railway workers and Border Force officials.

p>

The army prepares to intervene at borders and drive ambulances as Tories scramble to minimize disruption ahead of Christmas.

But the government is still resisting calls for wage talks to begin - despite health unions saying they would call off the strike if ministers come to the table.

The general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, Pat Cullen, has said that if ministers enter pay negotiations they will 'press a pause' in the first national walkouts in the union's 106-year history - the first ahead take place on Thursday.

Unison, whose ambulance service members are due to leave on December 21, also suggested they would seriously consider real wage improvement plans.

Christina McAnea, General Secretary of Unison (

Picture:

Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)

But the conservatives...