Council workers have called off a one day strike scheduled for Wednesday August 14 following an improved pay deal from employers.

It is likely that members of Unison, the GMB and the transport workers will accept the deal which concentrates on giving more help to the lower paid workers.

Last month council workers staged their first strike since the winter of discontent in 1979.

The one-day action was widely supported and meant many services run by councils in Sussex and elsewhere did not operate.

Both the unions and employers are recommending acceptance of the deal which covers two years.

Originally the unions wanted a six per cent rise while the employers were offering three.

Under the new deal they will get three per cent, backdated to April, with a new minimum of £5 an hour. This will be followed by a further one per cent in October plus one per cent for the lowest grades.

From next April, the workers will receive a 3.5 per cent rise plus an extra one per cent for the lowest paid.

This means the lowest paid council workers will receive £5.32 an hour compared with the current £4.80.

Sussex GMB organiser Gary Smith said acceptance of the deal would be down to workers.

But he added: "We are determined that the fight for low paid workers locally will continue."

The action in July had shown unprecedented support, especially from part-time women workers on low pay, and the union would continue to build up its base among them.

Mr Smith said the union hoped to sign a ground-breaking partnership agreement on job evaluation with Brighton and Hove City Council later this week.