Union bosses threatening to co-ordinate lorry strikes amid rows over pay and conditions for drivers were last night accused of plotting to 'hold Christmas hostage'.
Unite is to ballot thousands of supermarket and delivery drivers over a mass walkout over the coming days - the largest strike threat of its kind since the notorious Winter of Discontent more than 40 years ago.
The recent supply chain crisis, which many fear will continue to cause empty shelves into the festive season, has given truckers 'power', the union said.
As a result, their representatives are demanding commitments from ministers to provide clean toilets and catering facilities at truck stops as well as a pay rise for veteran drivers, after new starters were offered salaries of £50,000 to get behind the wheel.
Unite - whose new leader Sharon Graham promised to operate 'on the edge of the law' to protect members' rights - also wants temporary rules allowing staff to be on the road for up to 10 hours a day to be scrapped.
However, Government sources have slammed the proposals, insisting a mass walkout would cause huge disruption to the tireless work ongoing to try and keep shelves stocked and limit food shortages.
A Department for Transport spokesman told the Telegraph: 'It would be reckless for unions to hold Christmas hostage and damage the work being done to restore supply chains at this vital time of year.
'We have already taken immediate action to increase the supply of HGV drivers, streamline the testing process and improve working conditions.
'We are pleased employers are working towards long-term solutions through improved testing and hiring, with better pay and working conditions, and will continue to support them to do so.'
Unite is to ballot thousands of supermarket and delivery drivers over a mass walkout over the coming days - the largest strike threat of its kind since the notorious Winter of Discontent more than 40 years ago
Thousands of shipping containers at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk, as shipping giant Maersk has said it is diverting vessels away from UK ports to unload elsewhere in Europe because of a build-up of cargo due to the HGV crisis
Empty shelves at a Sainsbury's store in Charlton, South East London earlier this week
Unite's new leader Sharon Graham (pictured) has promised to operate 'on the edge of the law' to protect members' rights
Ministers fear such wholesale action would be on a similar scale to the Winter of Discontent, where strikes across a host of nationalised industries inflicted misery on Britons in the bitterly cold months at the turn of 1978-79.
Streets were piled high with rubbish bags and even dead bodies were left to rot as binmen and grave-diggers joined in the widespread walkouts.
Unite represents around 50,000 HGV drivers, including those for major supermarkets Sainsbury's and Tesco, so the impact of the threat would be seismic for the supply chain.
Adrian Jones, the union's national officer for road transport at Unite, told the paper: 'HGV drivers are the blood in the body of our economy. We will not hesitate to cut that supply off if the Government and the employers refuse to do what is necessary.'
Current laws prevent one large national strike, he added, due to the fact unions must register their disputes with each individual employer.
However, industry leaders are looking into coordinating action in order to cause maximum disruption over the coming weeks.
It comes after supermarkets were mocked yesterday for filling gaps on shelves with bizarre items to make stores look less bare, amid growing fears over a lack of goods coming in.
Shops such as Tesco and Co-op have been caught piling salad cream, HP sauce and cooking oil into chillers in a desperate bid to take up space. Meanwhile chocolate boxes have been chucked into fruit and vegetable slots.
A Tesco Extra in Cardiff put a huge display of sunflower oil at the end of a frozen food aisle, while a Co-Op placed salad cream and HP Sauce in chillers - and a Gloucester Asda filled empty shelves with Lynx Africa deodorant.
Elsewhere, a Tesco in Pontypridd, South Wales, put a wall of tomatoes in place of the usual salad items. And a Co-op store in Hertfordshire filled fruit and vegetable sections with Quality Street, Celebrations and Dairy Milk.
Supermarkets have been mocked for filling gaps on shelves with bizarre items to make stores look less bare. Pictured: A Co-op store in Hertfordshire, where chocolate bags of Quality Street and Celebrations are replacing fruits and vegetables
A Gloucester Asda store which has filled empty shelves with Lynx Africa on the toiletries aisle is pictured yesterday morning
Twitter user Stuart Turner posted this picture on September 17 of his local Co-Op having put salad cream in the fridges
Empty shelves in Leeds are picture today as stocks run low at a Sainsbury's supermarket due to supply issues
One in three retailers in Britain are expecting prices to increase over the next three months amid cost pressures from rising transport costs, higher energy prices and ongoing labour shortages.
The British Retail Consortium said there are 'clear signs' the combination of issues are 'starting to filter through to consumer prices', and small retailers across the UK say they are expecting to have to charge more.
But others said they are 'desperately holding off from being a
