Employers may 'impose' fire pay deal

Local authority leaders have warned that a "final" pay offer to firefighters of 16% over three years, linked to changes in working practices, could be imposed if it is rejected by firemen and women, it has been revealed.

A letter has been sent to fire staff across the country making it clear that the offer is the highest made in the public sector this year and will not be improved.

The Fire Brigades Union said the letter was a "piece of propaganda".

Meanwhile employers published an opinion poll showing that almost three out of four members of the public believe the offer should be accepted and a similar number thought the union was wrong to call further strikes.

Pay would increase from the present £21,500 to £25,000 in just over a year if it was accepted, said the letter, signed by Sir Jeremy Beecham, chairman of the Local Government Association.

News of the initiative emerged on the eve of a crucial recalled national conference of the FBU in Brighton to decide whether to reject the offer and press ahead with a 24-hour strike from 6pm on Thursday.

The union's executive was meeting tonight to discuss whether to make any recommendation to the conference, which will be attended by 250 union activists.

Firefighters have been voting overwhelmingly at local meetings to reject the offer and the conference had been expected to sanction the new strike.

But the prospect of war in Iraq and a possible backlash against the union for going on strike when the military was stretched was likely to be discussed at length during the conference.

Sir Jeremy said in his letter that he hoped firefighters would give "serious consideration" to the offer, which he added would need £30 million in interim borrowing from the Government.

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