New fire strike threat as pay offer dismissed

YORK Fire Brigade Union (FBU) chiefs today branded a new 16 per cent pay offer by 2004 as "unacceptable".

And Jeff Morrow, chairman of the York FBU branch, predicted more strike action.

Fire authority employers have agreed to propose a three-phase pay offer, backdating an initial four per cent rise from November.

This would be followed by seven per cent in November, with 4.2 per cent from July next year - giving an experienced firefighter £25,000 within 16 months.

But Mr Morrow said: "I was at work last night and a lot of the guys are pretty despondent. It's back to square one.

"I can see us going back on strike."

The proposed settlement is tied to controversial "modernisation savings" by introducing new working practices and cutting jobs.

Fire authority employers, who insisted it was a "significant new offer", agreed on the proposal after weeks of talks at the conciliation service, Acas.

The deal is dependent on £30m of transitional funding from Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

The cash would bridge a funding gap while savings are made from cutting jobs and modernisation. Employers are also expected to tell the FBU they are prepared to discuss a formula to trigger pay awards in the following two years.

FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist was to present the details of the offer to his ruling executive in central London today. It will be put to local brigade secretaries tomorrow.

The offer is better than the 11 per cent rise over two years proposed in Sir George Bain's controversial service review, which was attacked by FBU leaders.

If the new offer is rejected, the FBU has plans for fresh stoppages lasting between two hours and four days.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire's deputy chief fire officer Nigel Hutchinson says sick leave has significantly increased since the strike action - hampering the service's performance.

And Mr Morrow said firefighters who had given years of service had suffered depression because of their portrayal in the media over their strike action.

Updated: 10:58 Thursday, March 06, 2003