Staff had threatened a 24-hour stoppage on Thursday if Metro operator Nexus failed to reach an agreement over pay and duties for control room staff.

During talks on Wednesday - brokered by reconciliation service Acas - both sides agreed to ballot the Metro control room workers over a new pay offer.

But union officials have recommended that Metro staff reject the latest management offer, leading to the threat of more strikes next week.

Jack Pennie: "Offer not good enough"

Unison branch chairman Jack Pennie said he felt the offer was still not good enough.

The problem centres on 20 information service staff in the control room who earn between £10,000 and £12,000.

Mr Pennie told BBC News: "We are bitterly disappointed with our management's proposal, especially for the lower-paid workers.

"The management have not really addressed the low-pay problems we have in the control room for a particular group of workers."

If the offer is rejected again, strikes planned for 1 and 2 August could still go ahead.

'Generous deal'

Dorothy Tokat, Unison Senior Regional Officer, said: "We have reached a point in our discussions where we feel obliged to put management's offer to our members.

"However this will be with a recommendation to reject."

A spokesman for Nexus said: "We have agreed that the proposed action be suspended which is good news for the people of Tyne and Wear who won't now face a strike on Thursday.

"We believe that this is a pro-active move and that this deal represents good news for us and good news for Unison.

"This is a generous deal and focuses on increased productivity and substantial salary increases."