The move could mean that the BBC's coverage of the World Cup will go ahead without disruption.

Following 13 hours of talks at the UK's employment arbitration service ACAS, the union Bectu agreed to call off the industrial action set to take place on Tuesday 9 June.

Two days of talks

Bectu staff strike outside BBC Broadcasting House

BBC management and union negotiators have agreed to hold more talks at ACAS next week but the union's planned lobby of Parliament and MPs will still go ahead.

An ACAS statement said that a settlement between the two sides was "possible".

Bectu wants guarantees over job security and protection of earnings for thousands of technical staff.

The BBC maintains that the changes opposed by the union are necessary to ensure the corporation is cost-effective.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We are avoiding further disruption to programmes on Tuesday and we are making good progress in the talks."

Flagship programmes disrupted

Bectu and BBC management will hold two days of further talks

The first 24-hour strike disrupted live BBC radio and television broadcasts, including some of the corporation's flagship news programmes.

Bectu took the action saying that BBC plans to create a wholly-owned subsidiary company, BBC Resources, is a prelude to privatisation "by stealth" of technical staff, a charge the corporation denies.

Bectu said 15,000 staff stayed away during the first strike, including journalists who chose not to cross picket lines.

BBC managers disputed the figure, saying 3,500 staff had taken action.