BBC NEWS | Talking Point | Who is to blame for the firefighters' strike?

An eight-day strike by UK firefighters has begun as union leaders blame the government for wrecking a last-minute pay deal.

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If firemen are not happy with their pay and conditions, then they are free to leave the service. If the pay and conditions are so bad, then why is there a waiting list for places within the fire service. That's right, Britain's firemen, follow the superb lead of the coal miners, steelworkers, dockers, shipbuilders, and car workers. Strike yourselves into oblivion.
Nigel Macdonald, UK

The firefighters need to realise that we are all in the same boat. The economy is fragile and no body has had a big pay rise. The nurses deserve better pay, social workers, police you name it. It is irresponsible to strike and endanger lives. They don't have a harder live than anyone else.
Cliff, UK

Just compromise - go 50:50 right now

Gavin B, Switzerland

Gosh, the longer this is dragged on the more costs occur and the more difficult to agree the 40%. Just compromise - go 50:50 right now. The government should look at these people issues right now and forget Iraq.
Gavin B, Switzerland

Any pay increase must be linked to a similar increase in productivity. Would a two-track pay scheme work i.e. those who work under modern conditions get more pay? Those who choose the old work patterns, presumably because they have second jobs, get less. Complex to manage though.
Peter Riley, England

Perhaps if the government offered some affordable housing to the firemen, dustmen, teachers, lecturers, and everyone else who has to survive hand to mouth then 40% pay rises would not be necessary.
C. Thompson, London

Those complaining that firemen spend little time at fires are missing the point. The fire service needs resources aimed more at coping with peak demand, not average demand. This means that most of the time there should be at least one fire engine in my area sitting around doing nothing, but capable of reaching an incident within minutes. Not necessarily efficient, but essential.
Mick, UK

The government is right to refuse the firefighters' demands for a rise

Rich, UK

I am sick of the firefighters moaning that they have such a bad deal, for every fireman's job there must be 40-50 people wanting their position. I expect they have far better holiday than I receive, and are pension paid off at 55. The government is right to refuse the firefighters' demands for a rise. They would be better off helping the majority in such things as getting on the housing market than a moaning minority.
Rich, UK

40% sounds a big increase when looked at on its own, but 40% of what? The answer is £21.4k. An article in a Sunday broadsheet reports that New York firefighters have accepted a 10% pay rise, a whole 1% below what has been offered in the UK, but this is a straight 10% increase, no strings, and a New York firefighter with five years' service already earns £37,795.
John, UK

The politicians, having shown the lead by giving themselves a 40% rise, may now wish to shower the rest of us with a similar rise - including firemen - who deserve every penny.
Adrian, UK

The firemen could do with extra money for what they do but their claim was excessive, I think. I hope they settle for less. There is the question of differentials and I am a highly qualified teacher with years of experience but want to retire because a train driver gets more than me. What's the point here?
John Coxon, UK

Although the firefighters may deserve this pay rise, all the politicians need to do is put the debate in the right manner to the country. Whatever the final figure awarded - somewhere between 16-40% - of course this will be applied to next year's council tax bills (which fund a large proportion of the fire authorities costs). How quickly will the public support diminish then?
Tom Grady, UK

The government has billions to spend on war

Neil Rogall, UK

There is plenty of money to pay the full firefighters' claim and that of other public sector workers. Just as there is the money to build new hospitals and improve education. The government has billions to spend on war and preparation for war with Iraq. That money should be used to improve people's lives, not destroy them. Secondly, if taxes for the super-rich were increased to what they justly were in 1980, then there would be a great deal more in the public coffers.
Neil Rogall, UK

Why don't we just arrange to pay all those working in the public sector the same salary? That should include politicians. Then we will see a considerable change in pay rates and yearly increases.
Ian, UK

Yes, you are worth £30K a year - but so am I. I am a serving police officer, with 8 years service. I take home £1,200 a month for up to 70 hours a week. I am surely worth more money. My advice to the firefighters is - accept what you get because the government will surely destroy the fire service in the long run as they have destroyed the police service.
MB, UK

Cost cutting costs lives

Jim Martin, UK

If you want us to accept the Bain review, fine. But don't look to us when your fire stations are shut down or closed at night, or your emergency call is taken by a call centre hundreds of miles away, or your full time professional service is replaced by part timers and volunteers. Modernisation equals cost cutting. Cost cutting costs lives.
Jim Martin, UK

I have a deal to offer the firefighters. There are 30 applications for every position. If you don't like it then quit and let someone who wants to work have your job. If the pay and conditions were so bad then fewer people would be queuing up to join.
John B, UK

They have been offered a fair deal

G. Baldock, England

The firemen knew what the work entailed and what the wages were when they joined the fire brigade. They have been offered a fair deal so why are they reluctant to change their working practises? I also think that the public would not support them if they thought that they would have to pay for the excessive increase in salary.
G. Baldock, England

In my view the firefighters have been facing unrealistic positions for many years of there careers and should now be paid according to the hazards of there job. I certainly wouldn't go into a burning building for the money they are currently being paid
Lee Parker, Wales

Instead of providing the cool-headed leadership required to settle this, each side is shouting down the other in a most destructive way. The Bain report was poorly framed document, badly delivered. As a former trade union leader Mr Prescott knows how these things work. If the objective is to drive the firefighters back defeated, humiliated and demoralised I would ask the government to consider what the effect of that will be in a safety critical profession? Get back round the table and negotiate seriously and honestly!
David Stevens, UK

Something's wrong, when as my wife witnessed when working at a station for a week, there was just one "shout". Terrific news, but to be sat around for all that time - the system is screaming out for modernisation. Perhaps ALL firemen need to be on the retained principle?
Stu, UK

Tax the rich to pay for essential public services

Gina Hay, Ireland

If Blair and his fat cat cabinet can award themselves a 40% pay rise, as they did recently, then they can certainly give one to not only the firefighters, but every other low paid public servant in Britain. Tax the rich to pay for essential public services rather than giving away money to big business though PFI schemes. Firefighters are essential - Blair and his cronies are certainly not.
Gina Hay, Ireland

The fire service should not have been denationalised; the solution is to re-establish it as a government service on a regional basis. We would need maybe 15 brigades instead of 63, each about the same size as London Fire Brigade. Huge savings would be made which would provide more of the existing money for front line firefighters. The FBU's demand for pay parity for control room staff undermines their claim; it merely reinforces the solidarity they think they can count on. How can this essential but sedentary job be equated to that of a front-line firefighter?
Les, UK

Even if you accept that the firemen are worth £30k for what is undoubtedly a dangerous job, to demand a 40% increase is sheer folly. What have the union been doing for the last 25 years?
Richard, UK

Firefighters should be at least on par with the police as they both provide an essential service

Christine, UK

Although 40% is a lot, and totally not sustainable as it will break down the public services sector, I do support their strike. I hope and pray that I won't need their services when they're on strike, but they need to do something. The government has allowed their salaries to fall further and further behind and has been totally unwilling to compromise. Firefighters should be at least on par with the police as they both provide an essential service to the public.
Christine, UK

The fireman totally deserve 40%. However, they should have built up to it rather than asking for it in one go. They should also work the 24 hour 7 days a week rota that the police and ambulance service work. They should also lift the overtime ban and also not be allowed to strike. If they want more pay they have to agree to conditions that other services like the police have.
Ollie, England

The 40% may sound like a massive increase but the media needs to start looking at the actual figures involved rather than the percentage increases. If it will take a 40% increase to put fire fighters on a reasonable wage, then there's probably an issue with the current wages. Just a thought!
Niki, England

Regardless of the outcome of the current, indefensible strike over money before lives, there will have to be radical reform of the Fire Service. In Denmark, more the 50% of the service is private and provided at half the cost of publicly owned services. This is replicated in parts of America, along with a much greater reliance on part-time fire fighters.
Robin Davies, Wales

All it has done is dispel the misconception that firefighters are something special

Neil, UK

The strike hasn't affected me so far (other than making my blood pressure rise when I see firefighters in full uniform on picket duty at fire stations). All it has done is dispel the misconception that firefighters are something special. On the contrary, they are people who have the skills and opportunity to help others and save lives, but who refuse to do so.
Neil, UK

Firemen walk out the door everyday and don't know if they can expect to see their families again. I really feel that a wage of £30k is justified. However I do wonder how many of the firefighters and their supporters will vote Labour again at the next election.
Claire Page, UK

The firemen are right to strike for more pay. The government forgets that they do not only put out fires, but they are on the front line when there are major disasters. Who were the heroes of 9/11?
Jackie, UK

All these guys want is £8.50 per hour! Surely this isn't too much to ask. These brave people risk their lives everyday for us, the least we can do is give our support. Stick with the strikes guys, the country is fully behind you!
Anthony Evans, Wales

I completely agree with the strike action taken by the firefighters. I would think that now it should be obvious to everyone how much we need them and how much they're worth. They certainly deserve the pay rise.
Zoe Haggan, North London, UK

The politicians, having shown the lead by giving themselves a 40% rise, may now wish to shower the rest of us with a similar rise - including firemen - who deserve every penny.
Adrian, UK