Professor Frank Burchill, an industrial relations expert at Keele University, unexpectedly tabled a new six-page peace plan in an attempt to avert the threat of more walkouts when the war against Iraq is over.
Arguing that what he termed minor changes to the final offer made by fire authority employers could secure a settlement, he proposed fresh safeguards over pay, shifts, crewing levels and duties.
Prof Burchill's initiative will be considered separately today by the two sides, yet it was clear last night that the leadership of the Fire Brigades Union appeared more receptive than the employers.
The deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, has threatened to impose a 16% three-year pay deal and radical reforms to working practices if no deal is reached.
The current offer is heading for rejection with only one fire station, in Fife, voting to accept out of 300 that have met so far ahead of a union national conference in Brighton on April 15.
A senior figure on the employers' side said the intervention of Prof Burchill, an Acas mediator for 28 years, was "unprecedented" and said it guaranteed existing conditions that some fire authorities wanted to change. Night shifts would remain 12 hours, crewing levels at night "consistent" with those during days and overtime would not be used to cut jobs.
"It's a dead cert it will be rejected," said the employers' source.
