Firefighters 'seething' at offer

Firefighters' representatives from all over Britain expressed "outrage" yesterday at the latest pay offer and called for fresh industrial action.

However, John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, declared there would be no improvement in the offer of 16 per cent over three years tied to sweeping reforms and it is expected that the Government will resurrect its threat to take legal action banning strikes.

Some Fire Brigades Union activists at a meeting in London called for a ballot on an all-out strike in an attempt to bring the conflict to a head. Delegates said the offer was far worse than a plan tabled last year by employers – but vetoed by the Government – and would mean a deterioration in firefighters' rights. One official said the atmosphere at the meeting was one of "seething resentment".