Tyne and Wear Metro drivers offered 18.5% pay rise Published duration 4 January

image copyright Nexus image caption The Metro is one of the busiest urban rail systems outside London

Drivers on the Tyne and Wear Metro have been offered an 18.5% basic pay rise in an effort to end a damaging dispute which has resulted in strike action.

Now operator Nexus has offered three salary rises which will boost basic pay to £45,000 by October 2021.

The RMT union described recent talks with management as "constructive".

Further strikes planned for this month were called off so negotiations could take place.

Nexus director of finance and resources, John Fenwick, said: "The deal on the table is an 18.5% increase in train crew pay, payable in instalments over two years. In return Nexus will get more roster flexibility from train crews, allowing for improved duty lengths and less reliance on overtime.

"The pay deal is being funded from within existing budgets together with us being much less reliant on overtime in future, as part of the new train crew agreement."