Carillion has backed down in a dispute with the GMB union over the working hours of 120 workers on a road contract in north-west England.
The union threatened to call one-day strikes after Carillion tried to force operatives on a maintenance contract on the M6 to work a night shift.

Phil Davies, the GMB's construction secretary, said Carillion had agreed to let the workers carry on with their normal day shifts.

It is understood that the operatives would have been forced to work three shifts: 5am to 1pm, 1pm to 9pm or 9pm to 5am.

The union said that Carillion had threatened to dismiss any worker who refused to sign contracts agreeing to the shift system.

Carillion said that an agreement had been reached with the GMB union but refused to give details.