The issue caused the CYWU to threaten renewed strike action earlier this autumn (YPN, 1-7 September, p6).
Under the proposed settlement, workers will receive a 2.85 per cent pay rise backdated from November 2003 to February 2004 and a 3.3 per cent rise from March to the end of August this year.
The agreement is a compromise on the dispute between unions and employers over whether assimilation into the new pay and grading structure should be effective from September last year or from April next year.
The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) brought in mediators last month to resolve the dispute before opting for informal talks in favour of arbitration.
The process appears to have been successful, but CYWU general secretary Doug Nicholls said he preferred to withhold comment until after the documents had been properly scrutinised at Tuesday's meeting.
Implementing the pay increase two months later than the unions were pushing for enables employers to save 0.45 per cent on their pay bill.
Alison Wheeler, principal negotiating officer for the employers, said: "This is still within the three per cent increase, but it allows assimilation to take place much earlier than before."
The agreement will be ratified by the JNC on 19 November.
