Air and rail travel in the UK may become nightmarish during the Easter period as separate unions representing BA cabin crew and Network Rail signaled that their members would go on strike from the 27th of March.

As many as 13,500 BA workers will strike, affecting a third of the airlines operations, according to company officials.

This will affect 25,000 passengers per day, while strike action by signal workers for Network Rail will cause chaos for the ten million people who intended to travel by rail over Easter.

In addition, the Public and Commercial Services union has announced that some 200,000 civil servants, benefits staff, immigration staff, and court officials will strike on March 24.

The prospect of such a large scale strike, and the ensuing chaos it will cause, has sounded alarm bells in No.4 Downing Street as Prime Minister Gordon Brown faces a crisis that could have a significantly detrimental effect on his re-election campaign.

Government officials have called it a "nightmare scenario", as the Prime Minister may have to dissolve parliament and fight an election against the backdrop of national strikes.