The RMT members had voted against accepting the offer

The Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) has announced it has accepted the company's 4% pay offer.

Conductors had voted to reject the deal and were set for another seven one-day walkouts.

But the RMT union executive say they have "reluctantly" decided to accept the company's offer of 4% plus a lump sum of �250.

The approval of the offer brings an end to the dispute, which has included 25 strikes since it started in January 2002.

Removed incentive

Conductors had voted to reject the latest pay offer by a majority of two to one last week.

The union's general secretary Bob Crow said the backing of Arriva by the Strategic Rail Authority had removed the company's incentive to negotiate meaningfully.

"The very idea of a government agency openly backing an employer in an industrial dispute is disgraceful but under the circumstances it would be wrong to ask our members to suffer more financial hardship.

"RMT members, their reps and the strike committee have throughout behaved in a principled, dignified and united way, and their example has been an inspiration.

"They have today returned to work in the same united and dignified way."

Mr Crow went on to claim that the problems at Arriva, particularly low pay, had not gone away.

Arriva happy

And he added that the dispute had highlighted the need for a return to national collective bargaining on the railways.

The strikes had caused huge disruption to train services across northern England.

Ray Price, managing director of Arriva Trains Northern, welcomed news of the settlement and said the company could now move on.

"The resolution of this dispute is positive news for our customers, conductors and the business.

Mr Price added: "We now welcome the opportunity to work with our conductors and their representatives to deliver further improvements for our customers."