Firefighters strike over pay 'will end today'

Firefighters' leaders predicted last night that the long-running pay dispute will end tomorrow when union officials are expected to agree a final deal worth 16 per cent over two-and-a-half years.

The executive of the Fire Brigades Union expects a "significant majority" of delegates at a recalled national conference to accept the agreement and call off the nine-month dispute, that has seen 15 days of strikes. About 300 delegates will meet in Glasgow and some officials were predicting a 2-1 majority in favour of resolving the row. At least 28 of the 58 union branches have backed the deal although 14, including London and Merseyside, will vote against.

A number of activists are angry with the union leadership for recommending the deal and predict there will be a huge row. But the union's general secretary, Andy Gilchrist, will tell the conference the FBU has secured a good deal that will secure a pay rise at least three times the rate of inflation. A senior union source said: "There will be sizeable opposition but I believe the deal will be accepted. We are cautiously optimistic."

The deal will be signed with employers on Friday if it gets the go-ahead and firefighters will receive an immediate 4 per cent pay rise, backdated to last November.

Two pay rises of 7 per cent from November and 4.2 per cent from next July will increase firefighters pay from £21,500 to £25,000 by next summer.A new pay formula will come into effect from July 2005 under which salaries of firefighters will be compared with professional, technical occupations not male manual workers which was agreed after the last national fire strike in 1977.

Retained firefighters will receive the same rates as their full-time counterparts although the pay of control room staff will be subject to further evaluation over the next few months. The union said achieving pay parity for retained staff was a "significant step forward".