There is a golden opportunity now to try to move to a new era industrial relations

Mick Rix, Aslef

Aslef general secretary Mick Rix says said nationwide pay bargaining could prevent a repeat of the current rail industry disputes.

As well as proposing the idea to Transport Minister John Spellar, Mr Rix has written to the Strategic Rail Authority and the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) suggesting they could mediate in the new process.

'Nationwide threat'

But ATOC director-general George Muir said the proposal would mean jumping "out of the frying pan and into the fire".

"Instead of local strikes, the threat would be national strikes - as we saw in the past," said Mr Muir, who argued pay differentials were a fact of life.

Aslef's latest proposal follows the breakdown of talks between ScotRail, Aslef and the RMT union aimed at resolving the pay dispute which has led to the cancellation of a quarter of the company's trains.

Mr Rix says national pay bargaining is the possible solution to the present "merry-go-round" of rail strikes and talks which is disrupting services across the country.

George Muir says national bargaining would be expensive

The union leader says the move could lead to a "renaissance" for industrial relations on the rail network.

Mr Muir instead argues it would leave another "huge" cost for the government or passengers to pick up.

Since rail privatisation, he argues, there has been real progress in industrial relations but the threat of strikes remains.

Mr Muir continued: "Modern industrial relations means local agreements and flexibility...

"Strikes and work to rules should have no place in industry."

The government reaffirmed on Friday that it would not intervene in the strikes, saying it was a matter for the private sector companies.

Transport Secretary Stephen Byers, who is also plagued by threats of industrial action by Arriva Trains Northern and further strikes by South West Trains, has said he is confident of improving rail services before the next general election.

He said passengers had a right to expect safe, clean and comfortable trains that ran on time.

The Times reports that the Strategic Rail Authority chairman Richard Bowker is expected to earmark �430m for quick, local improvements.

Passengers and rail staff will be asked to nominate schemes such as extra rush-hour services, new car parks and stations, the paper says.

Competing companies

In the meantime UK passengers face disruption because of the wide range of pay disputes at different operating companies.

ScotRail drivers are refusing to do overtime or work on rest days unless their pay is increased and conditions improved.

Negotiations between the RMT and Arriva Trains Northern are under way in a bid to reduce the pay gap between guards and drivers.

Stephen Byers says passengers have a right to safe clean trains

And there appears to be little hope in averting further strikes later this month on South West Trains over pay.

Mr Rix says the train operating companies are competing with each other to attract staff, such as drivers, who are in short supply.

He believes his proposals come at a time which offers the golden opportunity for a "new era" of industrial relations and rejuvenation of the rail industry.

Restructure call

The government has made it clear investment is available for the industry now and in the future, he says.

Sorting out infrastructure problems, reducing the number of train operating companies and establishing training and safety standards that can be dealt with across the industry must be made priorities, he told BBC News.

Mr Rix also defended the transport secretary's action over Railtrack.

He said a lot of the current flak Mr Byers was receiving was because certain elements of the media, the City and industry disagreed with the move to put the company into administration.