The people that have helped improve the performance of the Metro are the lads and lasses on the ground

Stan Herschel, RMT

Unions have warned it could "cloud" further future pay discussions between the negotiating committee.

The committee - made up of representatives from four unions - has provisionally thrown out the revised pay offer but must ballot its respective members before officially rejecting it.

If it is rejected - as is expected in light of Mr Parker's pay settlement - further balloting will take place on future strikes.

Trains drivers' union Aslef is still keeping its options and may carry on with further strikes planned for 20 and 28 February.

Stan Herschel, north east organiser of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) which represents half of the Nexus workforce, said: "All four unions are singing from the same hymn sheet. We are all expressing our concern.

Working hours

"This 10% has clouded the water. The people that have helped improve the performance of the Metro are the lads and lasses on the ground.

"I can assure Mr Parker that our members have long memories and they will remember his pay rise.

"He is storing up trouble for the future."

Nexus has welcomed the cancellation of Monday's stoppage, and claimed the revised offer - which included a cut in working hours - was a very significant improvement.

Robert Smith, Nexus director of Metro operations, said: "We are very pleased that this strike action has been cancelled.

Mike Parker has been offered a 10% pay rise

"We trust that this revised offer will now be acceptable to our employees."

Nexus is not directly responsible for Mr Parker's pay rise.

The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority (TWPTA) sets his salary and conditions.

A Nexus spokeswoman said: "Mike Parker works for the TWPTA and, as such, has been the subject of a salary review.

"His job was compared with that of other director generals in passenger transport executives across the country as part of this review.

"It found that, despite Nexus being the largest organisation with the most staff, his pay came second bottom in a league table.

"They felt the 10% was to bring him into line with the other seven PTAs across the country."