Trade union GMB confirmed that industrial action planned for the next two weeks will not go ahead, after strike action that had been due to take place this week was also halted.

The strikes were announced after South Tyneside Council suspended the GMB union workplace representative, while a wider dispute over bullying allegations has been ongoing for almost nine months.

GMB organiser Stuart Gilhespy said: ‘Since the start of this dispute, GMB has been calling for an end to the bullying culture.

‘We are pleased South Tyneside has listened and enacted a restructure which has now been accepted by our members.’

South Tyneside Council said the end of the industrial action was ‘in sight’ and that it was working with the workforce to ensure there was no further ‘action short of strike’ this year.

The council’s director of place and communities, Stuart Wright, said: ‘It is hoped that this positive step forward will lead an end to the dispute which has seen waste collections disrupted for the past nine months.

‘Now that we have some stability, at least for the short to medium term, we will be working hard to get collections back on track as quickly as possible.’

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