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The long-running firefighters' dispute has ended with agreement on a 16 per cent pay increase.
Firefighters voted three-to-one in favour of the deal at a special union conference in Glasgow today.
Firefighters would receive 4 per cent more in their next pay packets, followed by 7 per cent in November and the remaining increase by July next year to take the average salary to £25,000. The deal also includes modernisation of the fire service and consultation about changes.
Fire Brigades Union (FBU) chief Andy Gilchrist said the deal, more than three times the rate of inflation, was "a decent deal for people who provide a first-class service".
Gilchrist hinted there may be trouble to come. When asked about the pay compromise, he said: "We have always said our people are worth £30,000. This is the first phase on the way to achieving that."
Not everyone agreed to the deal. Steve Green, a firefighter from Bromley, said he believed Gilchrist should resign.
"He has done everything to undermine our action. He has cancelled strikes and the deal on offer now is the same as one we have already rejected", he said.
