THE threat of pre-Christmas strikes at Southampton airport was averted today when union leaders agreed a new pay deal.

Talks between the Transport and General Workers Union and the British Airports Authority ended in agreement at 4am.

The union will now recommend a new deal worth just under eight per cent over two years.

Union members will vote over the next few weeks, but the TGWU was confident that the potentially damaging dispute has been resolved.

The two sides met for 11 hours at the union's head office in London in a bid to avoid a series of strikes at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton.

Bill Morris, the TGWU's general secretary, took personal charge of the negotiations following the result of a ballot which showed that union members voted by more than two to one against an offer the company said was worth seven per cent over two years.

The new offer, thrashed out during the all-night talks, was improved to almost eight per cent and will benefit lower-paid workers.

Mike Clasper, deputy chief executive of BAA, said: "Our primary objective in coming to the talks was to ensure that travel over Christmas was not disrupted.

"We have agreed and signed a pay offer that the TGWU will recommend for acceptance."

Mr Morris welcomed the new deal and said the union would now recommend the offer to its members in a full postal ballot.

The result is expected just before Christmas.