Gas strike threat withdrawn

The threat of a strike by gas safety engineers has been withdrawn after employers and unions agreed to go to arbitration.

The two sides said they would meet for talks on 19 and 20 December at the conciliation service Acas.

Earlier on Tuesday the GMB union had said 6,000 gas safety engineers could be called out on strike over Christmas, following a dispute over pay.

Engineers employed by Transco to maintain the national gas pipeline network had rejected a 3% pay offer.

Transco said the two sides would accept the outcome of the arbitration.

"We are suspending the threat of industrial action as a sign of good faith," said Brian Strutton, national officer of the GMB.

"We are pleased that Transco has finally accepted binding arbitration."

Pay claim

The first set of talks at Acas had broken down last Thursday.

The GMB had said that if strikes went ahead, they could affect 18 million households across the UK.

The engineers are seeking a 5% pay rise.

They claimed that Transco's 3% pay offer amounted to a pay cut because other allowances, including sick pay, would be reduced under the terms of the offer.

If the engineers had gone on strike, the GMB had warned that the gas pipeline network should be shut for safety reasons.

"It's feasible (to keep the network open) but extremely dangerous," said Ed Blissett, a senior organiser at the GMB.

"Without our members there are not enough qualified contractors in the country to maintain the network."