Fire strikes 'inevitable', says union

Britain is facing the first national fire strike in a generation after firefighters' leaders voiced outrage at an 11 per cent rise over two years recommended by a government-sponsored inquiry.

The package, which fails to offer an improvement on the 4 per cent already rejected earlier this year, provoked anger among firefighters across the country yesterday.

Sir George Bain, who led the inquiry, also suggested sweeping changes to working methods and employment conditions in return for a 7 per cent pay rise next year. Many of the proposals have already been rejected by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

While ministers and employers were emphasising the 11 per cent figure – arguing it was considerably better than deals on offer to other public servants – the proposals are almost certain to lead to a 48-hour national strike, beginning at 6pm tomorrow.

As Ministry of Defence "Green Goddess" fire engines were put on a state of readiness to provide emergency cover, Andy Gilchrist, the general secretary of the FBU, described Sir George's intervention as "disastrous".

"He has effectively wrecked the pay talks. We are employed on a salvage operation to see if there is any hope of putting things back together again," Mr Gilchrist said.

The FBU leader said the union was beginning to suspect that "those in the dark corners of Downing Street" were deliberately trying to provoke a strike.

Last-chance talks will take place today but union sources thought the walkout was inevitable. The only way through last night seemed to be for ministers and employers to agree to ignore many of Sir George's suggestions and negotiate with a clean sheet. While the FBU was thought to be prepared to negotiate over its demand for a 40 per cent increase, which would put firefighters on £30,000 a year, there was a yawning gap between the union claim and the Bain proposals.

Meanwhile, airline passengers face severe disruption over the coming months after an announcement yesterday of six 24-hour stoppages by workers at seven airports. Controllers have also called for a ballot on a protest strike.

Britain's biggest airports are threatened with closure on 28 November; 2, 10, 15 and 23 December, and 2 January when a range of staff – including specialist firefighters – will walk out over pay. The absence of fire crews would make the shutdown of Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh virtually certain on strike days.

Air traffic controllers are expected to hold a ballot on a disruptive 15-minute strike in protest at massive bonuses for two directors at National Air Traffic Services (Nats).

Bill Semple and Colin Chisholm, senior executives at Nats, are said to have received payments of £215,000 and £62,000. While any walkout would be short, it could cause huge delays.

The national industrial action by local authority firefighters, who are planning three eight-day stoppages to follow the two-day walkout starting tomorrow, was by far the most serious challenge to the Government.

Sir George came under pressure from ministers to release an interim report into the pay and modernisation in the fire service, the full version of which is not due for publication until mid-December. Sir George's "position paper", part of which he leaked to a newspaper yesterday, could hinder rather than help the search for a settlement.

Nick Raynsford, the Fire Service minister, welcomed the recommendations, which he said provided the basis for negotiations. "These proposals hold out the prospect of a significant pay rise in exchange for a significant package of reforms," he said. "This is a very sound basis for both parties to get down to constructive discussions. I hope the union will call off their strikes, which would be deeply damaging."

Mr Raynsford said the offer went "way beyond" the rise most public-sector workers received. "It holds out the prospect of significant changes to some of the more restrictive practices which have inhibited pay increases," he said.

Sir George's position paper took issue with the FBU's argument that firefighters were underpaid. He also sought local flexibility on wages, argued against an automatic pay mechanism and called for a revolutionary change to the service's remit.