Fire strike talks break up

Many fire stations are responding only to 999 calls

Talks by the executive of the firefighters' union to consider official strike action have broken up without a decision.

The talks will resume on Monday, after the union has heard back from the employers.

The meeting came as unofficial action continued in about 35 of the UK's 56 brigades.

Firefighters - who are still answering 999 calls - say employers have failed to keep to a deal agreed in June following a lengthy pay dispute.

They had expected a 7% pay rise on 7 November, but local authority employers say it will be only 3.5%.

Employers said the union knew the remainder would be paid next year, backdated to 7 November, on condition that changes being made in the fire service are completed.

And the employers again insisted the pay rise would be staggered in an e-mail sent to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) on Thursday lunchtime.

A lot of people fell the employers have reneged on the deal Firefighter Nigel Stroud Firefighter Nigel Stroud gives his view of events

After the protests spread to London, Cheshire, East Anglia and other areas on Wednesday, private talks were held between employers and the FBU.

No agreement was reached.

Shadow deputy prime minister David Davis said the government's attempt to "micro-manage this from the wings has led to very clumsy, very chaotic handling.

"What we have got now is an unnecessary dispute at the worst time of year," he said.

Firefighters say they had expected a 7% pay rise next week

The FBU leader said members were "extremely angry" at the two-stage pay rise, seen as "political vindictiveness".

The options available to the FBU are thought to include accepting or rejecting the agreement, renegotiating some of its details, or moving towards a fresh ballot for industrial action.

The employers said June's agreement had always been that changes had to be made, and then verified by the Audit Commission - a process not expected until March.

The long-running dispute appeared to have been resolved in June, after months of strikes in which the Army used green goddess vehicles to provide cover.

Under the June agreement, 4% was paid immediately, back-dated to last November.

A further 7% was due this month, followed by a final rise of 4.2% next summer, lifting a firefighter's pay to £25,000.