The document - part of a multimillion-pound campaign aimed at recruiting more members and driving up wages and benefits - will emerge today, just as First Group submits its final bid for the "Greater Western" franchise based at London Paddington.

The "dossier" argues that the company has failed rail and bus users in the UK and exploited workers in the US.

First Group, led by Moir Lockhead, the chief executive, defended its record yesterday and argued that the campaign - involving the Transport and General Workers' union (T&G) in Britain and the Service Employees International Union and the Teamsters union in the US - is largely funded by the Americans.

A spokesman for First said the US unions were engaged in a "naked recruitment campaign'' at the company's US school bus subsidiary and were anxious to affect opinion in the company's country of origin.

However, the report emerges at a sensitive time for First, which is competing with National Express and Stagecoach for a rail franchise which includes Thames Valley commuter services, local networks in the West Country and intercity lines between London, Wales and the West. The document will be handed to MPs at the Labour Party conference in Brighton.

The report says the company, already operating the Thames and Express routes, has been responsible for a decline in performance, increasing customer complaints and "arrogant'' rises in fares.

The union leaders argued that the problems have been serious enough to prompt widescale protest, with MPs being compelled to raise questions in Parliament.

It also says that the company has been carpeted by traffic commissioners across Britain for maintenance and service failures in its bus operations.

In the US, management is accused of "aggressively opposing'' all efforts by employees to form unions, prompting complaints from government regulators over possible violations to American labour laws.

A spokesman for First said the US unions had informed First they were spending $15m (�8m) in an attempt to "undermine'' the company and that they were "disappointed'' that the T&G had got involved.

The company argued that its rail operation throughout Britain has seen enhanced punctuality and reliability. It said there had been "huge strides'' made in the record of First Great Western, which ran the intercity services, and that thousands of extra seats had been laid on in the Thames Valley services.

One of Britain's biggest transport companies is not fit to be awarded an important rail franchise because it has "serious problems with services, reliability and employment standards'', according to a report compiled for British and American union leaders.

The document - part of a multimillion-pound campaign aimed at recruiting more members and driving up wages and benefits - will emerge today, just as First Group submits its final bid for the "Greater Western" franchise based at London Paddington.

The "dossier" argues that the company has failed rail and bus users in the UK and exploited workers in the US.

First Group, led by Moir Lockhead, the chief executive, defended its record yesterday and argued that the campaign - involving the Transport and General Workers' union (T&G) in Britain and the Service Employees International Union and the Teamsters union in the US - is largely funded by the Americans.

A spokesman for First said the US unions were engaged in a "naked recruitment campaign'' at the company's US school bus subsidiary and were anxious to affect opinion in the company's country of origin.

However, the report emerges at a sensitive time for First, which is competing with National Express and Stagecoach for a rail franchise which includes Thames Valley commuter services, local networks in the West Country and intercity lines between London, Wales and the West. The document will be handed to MPs at the Labour Party conference in Brighton.
The report says the company, already operating the Thames and Express routes, has been responsible for a decline in performance, increasing customer complaints and "arrogant'' rises in fares.

The union leaders argued that the problems have been serious enough to prompt widescale protest, with MPs being compelled to raise questions in Parliament.

It also says that the company has been carpeted by traffic commissioners across Britain for maintenance and service failures in its bus operations.

In the US, management is accused of "aggressively opposing'' all efforts by employees to form unions, prompting complaints from government regulators over possible violations to American labour laws.

A spokesman for First said the US unions had informed First they were spending $15m (�8m) in an attempt to "undermine'' the company and that they were "disappointed'' that the T&G had got involved.

The company argued that its rail operation throughout Britain has seen enhanced punctuality and reliability. It said there had been "huge strides'' made in the record of First Great Western, which ran the intercity services, and that thousands of extra seats had been laid on in the Thames Valley services.