LONDON (AP) — Strikes that could have closed Britain's major airports during peak vacation season were averted after a full day of talks between the country's airports operator and a leading union.

Officials from BAA and the Unite union emerged late on Monday from a meeting brokered by the government's conciliation service to announce the agreement. Unite national secretary Brendan Gold said it was "a settlement which we're prepared to recommend to our members."

The details of the agreement were not revealed. They were presented yesterday to union members, who must now vote on the offer.

The two sides had been locked in a dispute over pay.

"It's been challenging," said conciliation service spokesman Peter Harwood. "The parties wouldn't have been here if it was a straightforward matter."

BAA had said it would have to shut down its six airports — including Heathrow, Stansted and Edinburgh — if the walkout went ahead because the striking workers would have included security staff, engineers and firefighters.

The closures could have affected around 300,000 passengers and 2,500 flights each day, and any strikes would have been unlikely to endear BAA's staff to the public in a year that's already seen significant travel chaos thanks to the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud and a series of rolling British Airways strikes.

The Unite union announced last week that workers had voted in favour of a walkout. But BAA argued that the union's ballot did not provide a clear mandate for strike action because only around half the eligible workers voted — 74.1 percent of the 3,054 staff who voted said yes to strike action, but a total of 6,185 workers were balloted.

Workers protested a one percent pay raise this year after they accepted a salary freeze and changes to their pension program last year. BAA had offered an additional 0.5 percent, but that was conditional on changes to sick leave.

Meanwhile, thousands of British Airways PLC check-in workers and other ground staff started voting on Monday on whether to accept savings and job cuts as part of the loss-making airline's plans to cut costs.

The GMB and Unite unions have reached agreement in principle with BA regarding staffing and working arrangements and will recommend that around 3,000 workers accept the deal, which involves 500 voluntary job losses and a one-year pay freeze.