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Prescott pulls against Brown over firefighter pay deal

Paul Waugh,Deputy Political Editor
Thursday 31 October 2002 01:00 GMT
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John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, is locked in a funding battle with Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, in a final attempt to avoid a national firefighters' strike.

Local authority employers and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) met yesterday for their first direct talks in eight weeks. Some council chiefs were hopeful that the first eight-day strike planned for 6 November could be called off to allow further negotiations on a pay formula and modernisation plans.

As the talks adjourned last night, Andy Gilchrist, the FBU general secretary, said they had been constructive but the option of strikes remained "live". The sides will meet again today.

Mr Prescott is understood to have intervened in the talks yesterday to express his annoyance that the employers had failed to come up with a concrete figure for the savings that could be made from changed working practices. Mr Prescott telephoned Charles Nolda, executive director of the employers' organisation, to say that an estimate of the savings could aid a breakthrough.

Earlier this week, employers were told that there was "an unresolved debate between Mr Prescott and Mr Brown" on the issue of the funding of any pay settlement. The Chancellor insisted last week that no department would see an increase in its funding above the spending limits set out in the summer's spending review. But Tony Blair has denied that the Treasury would not make additional funds available. The fire authorities have made clear that they could make no new pay offer without extra cash.

More than 100 firefighters gathered outside the central London venue for the talks and called on their leaders to hold firm in seeking a 40 per cent rise. One firefighter, Peter White, based in Hackney, east London, said firefighters feared a deal was being brokered that would see them get a 16 per cent rise over three years, just 1 per cent more than they were already offered. "If [Andy Gilchrist] backs down he should resign," he said.

Eight strikes running until Christmas Eve have been set unless the deal is agreed.

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