Firefighters head for first national strike in 25 years after 'derisory' pay offer

The threat of the first national firefighters' strike for 25 years increased dramatically yesterday after the collapse of talks aimed at averting a walkout. The Fire Brigades Union recommended members back national strike action after it rejected a 4 per cent pay offer, prompting unofficial action in 30 brigades across the country.

Andy Gilchrist, the FBU general secretary, told thousands of firefighters demonstrating outside the pay talks venue in central London yesterday that the offer was nowhere near the union's demands for a rise of nearly 40 per cent.

Mr Gilchrist drew cheers as told the firefighters from the top of an open double-decker bus that the union was recalling its national conference on 12 September to decide whether to ballot on action. He said: "We have no more meetings planned. We will have to take a different approach. Be very clear, the executive council are recommending national strike action. We're well up to the task. It's a difficult job. Let's get it done."

The FBU is demanding a minimum £30,000 salary for qualified firefighters and control room staff, who start on £21,500. But local authority employers insist they can afford no more than a 4 per cent settlement this year. They have offered reforms to working practices and asked the Government to set up an independent inquiry into the pay gap between firefighters and other workers in the public and private sector.

But talks at Westminster Central Hall broke up after less than 90 minutes. A senior member of the employers' negotiating team said the divide between the two sides was "narrow but very deep". Anger boiled over across the country as firefighters from up to 30 brigades including South-west, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northants, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire and parts of Scotland began taking 999 calls only. Tam Tierney, the Scottish secretary of the FBU, said unofficial action had begun in Strathclyde in the morning. He said the action would have "nil effect" on the public, since emergency calls would continue to be answered.

But he added: "The union cannot support this as it is unofficial, but it's clear our people are responding to the derisory and contemptuous offer by the employers."

Duties such as routine inspections and equipment checks are likely to be affected. Union leaders warned that industrial action would close the Channel Tunnel and disrupt transport services such as London Underground because of support from other workers, including French fire brigades.

A national strike could bring the green goddess fire engines and Army firefighters on to the streets for the first time since 1977. Last night 900 green goddesses were being made ready for action.

Senior figures in the Local Government Association (LGA), said contingency arrangements for a national strike were ready, and warned that action could put other public services at risk. Ted George, chairman of the employers' negotiating team, condemned the union, insisting its "headlong rush to a strike ballot could turn a resolvable disagreement into real risks for the safety of the public". He said: "It is extremely disappointing that there has been no agreement. There is no need for the union to escalate our disagreement into a life-threatening strike. There is a way to resolve the situation without putting the public in the middle.

"We told the union we agree there should be a new pay system for firefighters. We suggest it is based on the rise in average settlement in the rest of the economy. But we cannot meet a wage rise of anything like the union's demand."

John Ransford, director of social policy at the LGA, said: "If there is a strike, it's likely other public services would be at risk. We must use the seven or eight weeks we have before any strike to find a solution."

Employers accept firefighters are underpaid. But they say central government will have to foot the bill for a substantial pay rise, and say any deal will have to be matched with reform, to provide "something for something" for the Treasury.

Union leaders insist immediate action is needed.