• Railway disputes during Olympics to be referred to Acas
• London Underground says this month's tube strikes off
Boris Johnson faces calls to seal a no-strike agreement with the RMT trade union for the 2012 Olympics after Network Rail struck a deal that reduces the threat of industrial action next summer.
News of the deal came as London Underground declared that two weeks of walkouts by tube drivers, due to begin next Monday, had been called off. The RMT denied the claim.
Network Rail and the RMT have agreed that any industrial dispute that arises during the games will be referred to the Acas conciliation service, with no walkouts taking place during those discussions.
Network Rail said: "If there is a dispute, either existing or new, during the timeframe of the Olympics it will automatically be referred to Acas for resolution and no industrial action can be taken whilst we are still negotiating with Acas."
An RMT spokesman denied that the agreement constituted a no-strike deal because it "recognises the continuing right to withdraw labour".
Under the agreement, RMT members carrying out extra shifts during the Olympics and Paralympics between 27 July and 9 September will receive up to £500 in additional pay. It is understood that the deal applies to about 800 Network Rail staff who will work extra hours during the games.
In a further deal that settles a long-running dispute with signallers and clerical staff, about 10,000 Network Rail employees will receive a 5.2% pay rise this year - 0.5% above inflation - with a further pay rise of RPI plus 5% next year.
Bob Crow, the RMT general secretary, said: "The package recognises the important role that transport workers will be expected to play during the games and rewards them financially while protecting their union rights at the same time. At this time of austerity we think that £500 extra payments and 10% on the basic represents a good deal and proves that strong union organisation can deliver for the members."
The Network Rail deal triggered calls for a similar arrangement at Transport for London, with the tube network expected to bear much of the strain of millions more journeys during the games period.
Caroline Pidgeon, chair of the London assembly transport committee, said: "They are going to have to come up with something for the Olympic Games. We cannot have disruption when we have the world looking at us."
Johnson, the London mayor, has said he will not meet Crow while TfL is in dispute with the RMT. The two have yet to meet because the union has been in some form of dispute with TfL since Johnson was elected.
Johnson has urged the government to consider legislation that would limit strikes by barring any walkout not backed by a vote in which more than 50% of the workforce took part. The mayor reiterated his demands last week after RMT-affiliated tube drivers voted for two weeks of walkouts over the sacking of two drivers.
London Underground said the action had cancelled after TfL reinstated one of the drivers in the wake of an employment tribunal. Eamonn Lynch, a Bakerloo line driver fired for breaching safety guidelines, was found to have been unfairly dismissed. He will return to TfL in a "non-driver role", TfL said.
Mike Brown, head of London Underground, said: "As we've always said, there are established mechanisms in place to deal with individual disputes, and that is the process that has been followed here. Following a meeting with the RMT leadership this morning the RMT have withdrawn their threat of industrial action, and we have avoided significant disruption for London."
RMT denied that the walkouts had been called off. "The strike action in the victimisations dispute on London Underground has not been called off," said a union spokesman. "We have not received confirmation of any potential offer from London Underground as a consequence of earlier talks. If and when any written confirmation of any offer is received it will be considered by our executive and a statement will be issued by the RMT."