Metrolink staff have called off the strike planned for Wednesday - so trams will run as usual for the United home game against Burnley.

Unite members who work for tram operator MRDL had voted to strike over pay and conditions for 24 hours between 12.01am on February 11 until the same time on February 12.

But union and tram bosses spent all day today locked in talks with conciliation service Acas. Negotiations have now led to the suspension of strike action.

After the 11th hour reprieve, members, including drivers and customer service staff, will now consider the new offer on the table before balloting again over strike action.

A spokeswoman for MRDL said: “After joint talks today with the conciliation service ACAS, Metrolink RATP Dev Limited have tabled an improved offer to Unite, which will now take their members for ballot.

“As a consequence the industrial action tabled on Wednesday has been called off.”

If strike action had gone ahead, Metrolink bosses would have been forced to shut down the network, bringing in an ‘extremely limited’ coach service instead.

The M.E.N revealed last week that the industrial action could have meant the entire tram network grinding to a halt.

And it would have spelled chaos for fans travelling to United’s Old Trafford clash with Burnley, which kicks off at 7.45pm on Wednesday.

Members of the union had voted for industrial action after refusing a proposed two-year deal.

Staff at MRDL, the Metrolink operator, have received a total 10 per cent pay increase over three years - but did not want to accept a total 3.5 per cent boost over the next two.

Pay negotiations had begun May last year, ending with the operator offering staff a 1.5 per cent rise in the first year and a two per cent hike in the second.

Although union leaders had urged staff to accept, members voted against the deal, also taking issue over proposed changes to conditions that would see new starters unable to claim sickness benefits during their first year.

Of the 694 Metrolink staff, 440 are Unite members and of those 333 voted, with 73.3 per cent in favour. This amounted to a total of 35 per cent of Metrolink staff voting in favour of strike action.

Metrolink staff have gone on strike only once before in the network’s history. That was in 2004, when industrial action was over members of union ASLEF wanting to be recognised alongside Unite

An M.E.N poll last week showed mixed public support for industrial action, with 53 per cent of readers saying they supported the decision to strike over pay.