The fire service pay dispute came to an abrupt end this afternoon after fire authority employers agreed to release cash for pay rises, quashing the prospect of strike action.
The 12.30pm meeting ended within just 20 minutes, after the Employers' Organisation (EO) officially confirmed it would release the money tied to reforms over bank holiday working and fire service modernisation.
Both sides agreed to a new form of wording brokered by the TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, over fire duties during bank holidays, which will see firefighters receive a 3.5% pay increase backdated to last November.
Fire authority bosses' official acceptance of the progress report findings on fire service modernisation will see staff receive a further 4.2%.
Pay talks collapsed at the beginning of this month, with the threat of industrial action by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) growing as members were balloted throughout August.
The Guardian yesterday revealed that contingency plans drawn up by the government in readiness for a strike could have seen private contractors brought in to help provide full emergency cover, following doubts that the military had the necessary troops to cope alone.
Today's decision puts an end to almost two years of dispute between firefighters and their employers.
The Local Government Association (LGA) welcomed the end of one of the most unsettling chapters in the history of the fire service: "Significant pay increases for staff have been delivered in exchange for service improvement that will deliver a more appropriate, better-resourced and inclusive service focused on preventing loss of life."
The FBU issued a letter to all its members to notify them of the deal. It said: "A negotiated end to this long-running dispute would not have been possible without the members of the union showing their determination in the face of a determined attempt to wreck the agreement."
