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Workers at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have suspended their strike following a new pay offer.

SQA said the offer would mean an overall average consolidated increase of 5.9%, excluding pay progression.

Union officials had announced industrial action on 15 and 16 September, as well as six further dates in late September and early October.

Unite the Union welcomed the revised offer and announced its members would take part in a consultative ballot.

However, Unite's industrial officer Alison MacLean said the union's members should "never have been put in this situation in the first place".

"This has caused unnecessary stress and anxiety to the workforce but also the learners of Scotland when this dispute could have been resolved months ago," she added.

Walkouts have already taken place on 8 September.

If the planned strikes had gone ahead, up to 55,000 exam appeals could have been affected.

A spokesperson for the SQA said: "Following constructive discussions with both our trade unions and the Scottish government, we are pleased that industrial action has now been suspended whilst our trade unions ballot their members on the improved pay offer."

The organisation said the revised offer - which will be worth 7.2% once pay progression is included - recognised the contribution of hard-working staff and that it hoped SQA staff would accept it.

The spokesperson added: "Our job now is to get on with the important work of delivering for learners."