by Alana MacAskill

RAIL unions called off a bank holiday strike yesterday after mounting pressure forced Network Rail to propose a new pay deal.

Members of TSSA and RMT suspended the 24-hour action, planned from 5pm on Monday, to consider the new offer.

The walkout was expected to cause travel chaos, affecting air travellers as well as creating numerous traffic jams.

Many train-operating companies had already started cancelling services for next week and passengers were thought to have swapped rail tickets to travel on coaches.

Mounting pressure from passengers, businesses, workers and unions pushed Network Rail towards a quick resolution of the dispute with the two unions involved.

The deal was unexpected as NR had earlier tried to derail the strike by threatening legal action, which unions saw as an bid to impress the government, particularly Transport Secretary and former scab miner Patrick McLoughlin.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash promised that the union would “not allow this legal manoeuvre to cloud the real issues in this dispute over jobs, safety and pay justice.”

The offer was tabled following four days of talks at conciliation service ACAS, where RMT and TSSA “received a revised offer that enables us to suspend the planned industrial action,” Mr Cash said.

TSSA leader Manuel Cortes confirmed the strike was suspended, “pending the outcome of a meeting of workplace representatives next week.”

Mr McLoughlin said he was “very pleased that the unions have made a decision to suspend their planned action,” adding: “Passengers right across the country will welcome this news.”

National Rail’s lawyer Bruce Carr has told a judge at the High Court in London that it would not go ahead with its application for an injunction.

A strike may still take place if National Rail fails to meet union demands.