Ministers will convene an emergency Cobra meeting today over the wave of strikes set to grip Britain ahead of Christmas.
Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden will gather the Government's emergencies committee for crunch talks today and Wednesday ahead of walkouts by workers, including nurses, paramedics, rail workers and Border Force officials.
The army is being prepped to step in at borders and to drive ambulances as the Tories scramble to minimise the disruption in the run-up to Christmas.
