The Trades Union Congress is seeking an urgent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister as concern grows over Government plans to force pay conditions on firefighters.

John Prescott signalled plans to introduce legislation in the next two months that would allow Government to set pay and employment conditions on firefighters, who finished a 48 hour strike this morning.

The Government plan drew an angry response from the Fire Brigades Union, and major public service unions declared their support for firefighters after an emergency summit yesterday.

"The whole trade union movement has been giving very strong backing to the FBU throughout the dispute," said a statement from the TUC contact group.

The contact group was formed in November when the dispute between firefighters and their employers became deadlocked.

The group, consisting of leaders from the TUC, Amicus, Unison, T and GW, and EPMU, said it would seek an urgent meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and that the dispute could only be resolved through negotiations.

"There is very deep concern over these proposals. It is absolutely clear that imposition cannot provide any basis for resolving this dispute," the statement said.

Mr Prescott announced the proposed law changes in the Commons on Tuesday, saying the FBU should not be allowed to hold the safety of the general public to ransom.

He said the Government would look to reintroduce the 1947 Fire Services Act, which was repealed in the 1950s, to allow Ministers to force pay conditions on the fire service.

Firefighters walked off the job for 48 hours from Tuesday morning until 9am today in their latest strike, and are due to strike again this weekend.

Emergency cover is being provided by nearly 20,000 armed forces personnel, mostly equipped with aging Green Goddess fire engines, at a cost of more than £1 million a day.

January 30, 2003 11:00