The union for petrol tanker drivers is backing down from its threat to strike, following a breakthrough in wage negotiations.
First Union yesterday said about half the country's petrol tanker drivers would strike for four days next month after Pacific Fuel Haul - which supplies Z Energy and Caltex - twice reneged on a national pay parity agreement.
It said the company had agreed to reinstate a previously agreed offer, under which drivers got rises of up to 18 percent and the union's South Island members became eligible for redundancy compensation.
First said its members will decide next week whether to accept the offer, but it was confident there would not be a strike.