STRIKE action at Reality's Burnley call centre has been called off after management brokered a deal with trade unions.

The new agreement has been described as a "significant step forward" by both senior officials and shop floor union representatives.

The decision to transfer business from a Burnley call centre to India came under fire as delegates at the Trade Union Congress discussed the impact of foreign labour on the UK workforce.

Deputy general secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers John Hannett said Reality had "betrayed their workforce".

Reality, which operates a call centre in the town as part of the GUS empire, transferred calls from the towns's site to an Indian call centre last month but have pledged that no jobs will be affected by the scheme.

A spokesman said the Indian centre was a pilot project.

General Secretary of USDAW, Bill Connor said: "This is exactly what we have been seeking all along.

"This deal reassures our thousands of members at centres across the north west."

USDAW are seeking assurances from the Prime Minister Tony Blair that in future jobs will be safeguarded.

Speaking at the conference, which was overshadowed last year by the September 11 attacks in New York, Mr Hannett said: "Too often, secret boardroom decisions are putting our members' livelihoods at risk.

"Ordinary working people are the last to know but the first to suffer when companies try to pass off wholesale restructuring as 'pilot projects'."

At the conference, which is being held at the newly refurbished Winter Gardens, delegates have raised a number of concerns over British jobs being lost to cheap foreign labour.

Mr Hannett added: "That's why we balloted our members for industrial action. The workforce's loyalty and commitment to the company has been cynically ignored under the guise of it's so-called project."

Mr Hannett also warned companies which faiedl to consult with their workforce that they could fall foul of a new European directive which would give workers and their trade unions important rights on information and consultation.