Prescott joins talks with firefighters in bid to avert strikes threat

A top-level emergency meeting was held last night in an attempt to avert morefirefighters' strikes. For the first time since the conflict began last year, all sides, including the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, met face-to-face.

Leaders of the Fire Brigades Union and local authority employers described the meeting, which lasted for more than two hours, as "constructive". Andy Gilchrist, the union's general secretary, will report back to his executive committee today before a decision is taken on whether to call fresh strikes. Sources at the FBU had warned earlier that, unless there were signs of compromise at the meeting, a further round of stoppages would be announced today, ranging from two hours to four days.

The increased role of Mr Prescott as mediator in the dispute came as Government figures were released showing that the cost so far to the taxpayer of the dispute was £80m, mostly in overtime and standby payments to military personnel and police. The cost to the 55,000 firefighters has been £55m in lost pay, or £1,000 each.

The Government has been insisting that firefighters must agree to the sweeping changes recommended in last year's Bain report to secure an 11 per cent increase over two years. But the union has rejected the offer, saying it would mean the loss of 4,500 jobs.

Firefighters' representatives said preliminary talks with Mr Prescott earlier yesterday had been worthwhile. Mr Gilchrist said: "We have been getting different messages from the Government, so the aim was to clarify what we are being offered. As long as firefighters and their representatives are treated with contempt and we don't get the right to negotiate, there will be strikes."

The union is angry with Mr Prescott for saying the Government would take control of pay negotiations from fire authorities unless the dispute was settled by Easter.

The union is also seeking a judicial review of legislation being introduced by the Government that could pave the way for job losses and the closure of fire stations.