UK union calls off national rail strike planned for next week

LONDON (Reuters) - A national rail strike that had been set to paralyse large swathes of the British network early next week has been suspended, the RMT union said on Thursday, after a revised pay offer. RMT members with track operator Network Rail had been set to walk out from 1600 GMT on Monday, a public holiday, continuing into May 26, a normal working day. They included signallers and track operators employed by Network Rail, which also operates 18 of Britain's biggest stations including King's Cross, Waterloo and Victoria in London, Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Central. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said in a statement: "After four days of talks at conciliation service Acas ... the company has tabled a revised offer. "(The) Executive Committee has considered this offer and decided to suspend all industrial action ..." The stoppage would have been Britain's first nationwide rail strike for 20 years according to media reports, and would have been an early challenge to the new Conservative government which has promised to make it harder for those working in essential public services to stage walk-outs. (Reporting by Stephen Addison; editing by Kate Holton)