The BBC can begin plans to cut 4,000 jobs after a technical workers' union voted to accept a revised offer put forward by the public broadcaster's director general Mark Thompson.
About 92 per cent of members of the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (Bectu) voted to accept a one-year guarantee of no compulsory redundancies while talks move forward on how to reduce staff by 20 per cent.
About 41 per cent of Bectu members voted on the proposal. The other two BBC unions, the National Union of Journalists and Amicus, previously had agreed to the offer.
Talks are now set to begin at a divisional level to seek redundancy volunteers. The union said it has reserved the right to strike if too many people are offered such packages.
The compromise deal with the world 's largest public broadcaster came about after the unions had gone on strike for a day and had been planning more work stoppages.