Firefighters are to go ahead with strikes tomorrow and later this week, saying their employers have left them with no choice.

Officials from the Fire Brigades Union met today and said there was little hope of their industrial dispute ending while the UK Fire Employers insist on modernisation as a pre-condition to negotiations.

"Our employers have made it clear that any pay increase above 4% has to be linked to a reduction of many thousands of Firefighters and Emergency Fire Control Operators and a far worse Fire Service," a statement from the FBU said.

Nearly 20,000 armed services personnel, using antiquated Green Goddess fire engines, will be deployed as emergency cover from 9am tomorrow, when more than 50,000 firefighters walk off the job.

The FBU and employers had resumed negotiations late last week under the auspices of ACAS, the independent arbitration service.

FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist also raised the possibility of suspending the strikes before meeting with the employers at ACAS.

However, any resolution of the long-running dispute seems distant.

"We said we would enter negotiations free of preconditions; it is now clear our employers are not prepared to negotiate."

"They are still offering us 4% with complete decimation of the fire service, with any increase above 4% being paid for with the loss of jobs."

The employers and Government say the fire service must be modernized, with a report by Sir George Bain calling for shift patterns to be changed to have more staff on duty during daylight hours.

January 27, 2003 17:30