NORTHERN Rail has headed off potential strike action by agreeing an across the board pay deal with unions representing staff.

The RMT had balloted its members for strike action, but has now halted that and will be putting the revised deal to the workforce with a recommendation to accept.

Northern said more than 5,000 employees would receive a 2.2 per cent increase for the current year, backdated to April last year.

There will also be a further increase of 2.4 per cent from April this year or an increase based on January’s Retail Price Inflation index – whichever is the greater figure.

Agreement was reached not only with the RMT, but other unions including ASLEF and the TSSA.

The RMT, which is continuing to seek assurances over the future role of guards on Northern trains – a separate issue which has led to a wave of strikes elsewhere in the country – said the pay deal gave a “massive boost” to those on the lowest rates and was a “significant victory”.

General Secretary Mick Cash said: “This revised offer represents a major breakthrough for the unions and has been secured through the hard work of our negotiators, backed up by the determination and solidarity of our members, who have made it quite clear that they were prepared to stand up and fight for a fair deal.”

A Northern spokesman said it was also implementing a new loyalty scheme which will see all non-managers rewarded for long service, with voucher payments made after ten, 20 and 25 years’ service and every five years thereafter.

He said: “Further pay boosts have been put in place for specific staff who are at the lower end of the Northern pay scale.”

The spokesman added: “The offer has been accepted by trade unions locally, but must now be agreed at a national level.

“Throughout the discussions we have emphasised our commitment to investing in our people and working towards a satisfactory conclusion and are pleased to have been able to reach agreement in principle over a deal which gives financial stability for employees until April 2018.”

Northern, whose parent company is Arriva, is the region’s biggest rail operator and its routes include Bishop Auckland to Saltburn and the coastal route connecting Newcastle with Sunderland and Middlesbrough.