Oliver Dowden has urged unions to call off the strikes this winter after attending a meeting of the government's emergency response committee. He says the COBRA meeting aimed to discuss contingency plans which would "minimise disruption" as much as possible, with walkouts planned for rail workers, NHS staff, ambulance drivers and Border Force staff across Christmas and the New Year due to ongoing pay disputes. Mr Dowden also expressed his condolences to the families of the young children who died after being found in a lake in Solihull.
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