Thread by @iainjwatson

How closely involved is the government in the rail dispute? And will the @uklabour leadership’s ‘no picket line’ policy backfire with the unions? More on @BBCr4today and @bbc5live between 630 and 7 this morning

So how involved are govt? This is what one of the recently-signed contracts between the Dept of Transport and a train operating company says about industrial action: ‘the Operator’s handling of such industrial action will be subject always to the secretary of state’s direction’

And ‘during the contract term the Operator shall not…enter into any new Employment Agreements..without the prior written consent of the Secretary of State’

The DfT says: ‘The Industry are leading on proposals to reform the railway workforce and as the employer they negotiate with the trade unions in relation to reform…
 DfT provides support to industry to deliver their proposals’

And on @BBCBreakfast transport sec @grantshapps says calls for him to get involved in the rail talks ‘is a stunt’ and if he did so it would ‘undermine and distrupt the discussions’ and simply ‘provide a bit of theatre’- it is ‘the job of the employers’ to meet with the unions

In Liverpool, the rail union @TSSAunion has accepted a 7.1pc pay increase from #merseyrail - which runs commuter services and is not part of the national negotiations