Prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has pledged “new tough laws” to protect people from strike disruption as industrial unrest threatens to derail Christmas plans up and down the country.
He told MPs if "union leaders continue to be unreasonable, then it is my duty to take action to protect the lives and livelihoods of the British public".
But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer pointed to comments from the transport secretary suggesting new laws would not help with current industrial action.
Nurses, paramedics and rail staff are among those set to strike this winter.
A bill has been introduced to Parliament which would ensure minimum service levels on transport networks during strikes but it is yet to be debated by MPs and peers.
Earlier, transport secretary Mark Harper told MPs the new legislation "may well improve the service passengers receive on strike days" in the future but it would not "help with the industrial action that we face today".
He added that his "priority" was to resolve the industrial dispute with rail unions "so that passengers don't have strike days".
The political interventions came as train passengers were told to only travel next week if it is absolutely necessary, even if rail worker strikes are called off at the last minute.
Workers at the UK's biggest rail union, the RMT, will walk out on 13-14 and 16-17 December causing major disruption.
It is part of a long-running dispute between unions, operators and Network Rail over pay, jobs and conditions.
Disruption will be inevitable even if strikes are aborted because of how long it takes to restore a normal timetable.
Network Rail, which owns and maintains Britain's railway infrastructure, said 50% of the railways will be shut down on strike days, regardless of whether the walkouts go ahead.