Ministers meet unions in effort to avert row over workers' rights

Trade union leaders will meet senior ministers tomorrow for crunch talks on the government's workers' rights package, as the government looks to head off a potentially damaging row at Labour conference.

- Kiran Stacey Pippa Crerar

General secretaries from the 11 unions affiliated to Labour will meet Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, and Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, on the eve of the conference to thrash out details of the package, sources have told the Guardian.

With just weeks to go until ministers are due to publish their proposals and several points of dispute still outstanding, ministers are hoping to avoid a damaging row with union backers so soon into the new government. Labour has promised to come forward with its proposals in the first 100 days of government, giving it a month to do so.

One person briefed on the meeting's agenda said there were still "a number of points of departure" between the government and unions, but that ministers were hoping to emerge with a final agreement.