Fire Brigades Union delegation meets NIO Minister

Fire Brigades Union (FBU) representatives have met NIO Minister Des Browne today to discuss the upcoming firefighters' strike which is set to start next week.

The union met with Mr Browne to push the case for a 40% pay increase for full-time firefighters which would see their salaries rise to £30,000 per annum.

Employers have already offered 4% as an interim deal, plus whatever an independent government review recommends should be linked to new ways of working. However, that has been rejected by unions.

The Prime Minister Tony Blair said today that, on the core 40% wage claim, "no government could yield to such a demand".

He added: "We don't want a confrontation, we have done everything we possibly can to avoid it, but we are in a situation in which the firefighters have an existing pay formula. We are prepared to honour that pay formula."

More than 96% of the union's members in Northern Ireland voted in favour of the industrial action.

The action consists of two 48-hour and four eight-day strikes, and are expected to start on Tuesday.

The FBU has estimated that a national strike will cost the government over £5.2 million per day.

Andy Gilchrist, FBU General Secretary said: “These figures show the estimated direct financial cost of a national fire service strike, but do not show the indirect cost to life and property should we be forced to take strike action next week."

Meanwhile, the union's Northern Ireland branch spokesman, Jim Barbour – who was part of the delegation that met the NIO minister – said that the 32 Green Goddess vehicles, which are set to replace 130 modern fire engines, would not be enough to handle the strike.

One retired fireman has said that the relative merits of a modern fire engine as compared to the 49-year-old Green Goddess would be like comparing a Harrier jump jet to a Spitfire.

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