Prescott raises hope of averting fire strike
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Your support makes all the difference.Hopes of a peace deal to avert 36 days of strikes by firefighters rose last night after John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, held out the prospect of an improvement in a 4 per cent pay offer.
The proposal was understood to have been made by Mr Prescott in the first face-to-face negotiations with Andy Gilchrist, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), which ended after two hours.
Mr Gilchrist said there had been "a constructive dialogue" although further meetings will be held before final decisions are taken on whether next week's strikes will go ahead. He said a "range of issues" relevant to the dispute had been discussed. "We will be giving consideration to these tomorrow and will meet to further consider the issues involved."
Asked if progress had been made at the meeting, Mr Gilchrist said it had been a "good opportunity" for both sides to discuss the dispute.
The meeting was held in Mr Prescott's office in Whitehall and lasted longer than had been expected. Mr Gilchrist is expected to hold further talks with Mr Prescott this morning.
Earlier, firefighters' leaders came under intense pressure from sympathetic unions to suspend their campaign of national strikes in support of a 40 per cent wage claim. The first 48-hour stoppage is due to begin at 9am on Tuesday.
A TUC official said "forms of words" had been drawn up by the FBU which might enable the industrial action to be called off. One senior union official urged the FBU to give Mr Prescott "breathing space" so he could convince Tony Blair of the need for compromise.
The official, whose union has offered the FBU full support in public, said:"The firefighters have shown their bravery by standing up to the Government, now they have got to show they are clever as well. It's clear Prescott is fighting his own battle in government to get a resolution to the dispute and if possible they should try to give him breathing space. If the Government does not deliver, the rest of the union movement will still be standing with them shoulder to shoulder."
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