Major delays on Tyne and Wear Metro services averted as engineers agree pay deal

Major disruption to Tyne and Wear Metro services looks to have been averted after the service's engineers called off industrial action.

The engineers had threatened to take strike action, potentially bringing the Metro to a standstill, after their requests for a "fair" pay increase had not been met.

However, after Stadler Rail, the contractor for engineering services on the Metro, increased their offer to a seven per cent pay rise, Unite union members were balloted and accepted the new deal.

Unite regional officer Craig Cuggy said: “This is a great win for Unite and our members who have got a fair pay rise for the highly skilled and safety critical work they perform. Other employers should take notice of how productive negotiations leads to a better deal for everyone involved.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham added: “By standing together in solidarity and being prepared to take industrial action our members have secured a pay increase which met their expectations.

“Unite is always prepared to negotiate and I’m pleased Stadler Rail acted in a timely fashion to our demands.”