BECTU has called off industrial action at the BBC on the advice of its lawyers after BBC Technology buyers Siemens presented a new offer on terms and conditions.

The union had planned strike action for this weekend when the first offer from Siemens and the BBC did not meet certain long-term guarantees for staff. Lawyers have advised BECTU that the second offer, which negotiators describe as going "a long way towards meeting their key demands, and includes a three-year guarantee of no changes in terms and conditions, improved pension benefits for staff retiring early, or being made redundant after the age of 45, and a promise that no ex-BBCT staff would be redeployed within Siemens outside the city they are currently working in," must be put to members.