THE threat of a rail staff strike which would have brought Essex services to a standstill has been averted after unions accepted a two-year pay deal.

Workers in the RMT union, which has 16,000 members nationwide, had called two strikes in the last month, which were both called off to allow further negotiations with Network Rail.

Today the RMT, along with the TSSA and Unite unions, announced they had voted to accept a pay offer made by Network Rail on June 1.

More than 80 per cent of the 9,052 RMT members who took part in the ballot voted to accept the offer.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "It just goes to show what can be achieved when members stand united and are prepared to fight for decent pay and conditions."

The pay deal is understood to involve a two per cent pay rise this year and a rise in line with inflation next year.

Staff have also been assured there will be no compulsory redundancies up to the end of 2016.

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: "This has clearly been a difficult period of uncertainty for our employees and for the people and businesses that depend on us.

“I am therefore pleased that we’ve come to an agreement.

“What has been clear to me throughout these negotiations is the passion we all share for the railway.”

Essex rail operator Abellio Greater Anglia had announced its entire network would come to a standstill if strike action had gone ahead, while c2c had warned of “severe” disruption.