Firefighters reject final pay offer

Members
of the fire union have overturned a recommendation from their leaders to accept
a final pay offer.

Delegates
at a recalled Fire Brigades Union (FBU) national conference voted to reject the
offer.

The
deal would be worth 16 per cent over three years, linked to changes in working
practices.

The
proposals deal will now be discussed by firefighters across the country over
the next two weeks, before another national conference decides whether to
accept the deal or continue with industrial action.

The
FBU’s general secretary, Andy Gilchrist, had argued that the offer was the best
available in the current political climate and was worthy of recommendation.

By Quentin Reade