Firefighters were on a collision course with ministers last night after union activists threatened the first national strike for nearly 25 years over a claim for £30,000 a year and higher annual wage rises.
Members of every UK brigade voted to call a strike ballot if the government failed to meet a November deadline to raise the prospect of vintage army green goddess tenders answering 999 calls.
The hard line adopted by the Fire Brigades Union's annual conference in Bridlington, seeking around 40% increase while refusing to negotiate over conditions or crewing levels, will add to the problems of beleaguered Stephen Byers, the cabinet member responsible for the fire service.
Andy Gilchrist, FBU general secretary, said the £21,531 a year - £412 a week rate for most qualified firefighters was £100 below national average earnings and a pay formula agreed after the 1977-78 dispute, when the army last stepped in nationally, was now out of date.
"We last raised the issue of pay in the fire service 25 years ago so no one could call us impatient," said Mr Gilchrist. "We do not seek confrontation but if we are forced to, and I emphasise forced, then yes, we will recall the FBU conference and yes, regrettably, we will recommend strike action."
The FBU is to table its claim on May 28 at a meeting with local authority employers with detailed discussions likely to open on June 6, though cash-strapped councils may have little room for manoeuvre.
Alan Whitehead, the minister responsible for fire cover in Mr Byers' Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, declined a union request to speak at the Bridlington conference and is planning to publish a white paper on the future of the service this summer.
Ted George, chairman of the UK's fire authorities, who listened to the speeches from a balcony, put the pay claim at £450m and said: "Were we to attempt to meet this demand, frontline services would suffer. Such an increase could only be met if the government was prepared to provide far greater investment in the service."
The FBU represents the overwhelming majority of the country's 50,000 full time firefighters and control staff as well as thousands of volunteer part-time retained crews, giving it the industrial muscle to organise a national strike.
Union leaders believe they could retain public sympathy, particularly if Mr Byers was still the cabinet minister ultimately responsible for the service and Mr Gilchrist used the potential political pressure that could be put on the government to head off a far left attempt to weaken links with the Labour party.
The pay formula agreed after the 1977-78 stoppage linked annual increases to the upper quarter of manual workers and guaranteed industrial peace, but the decline in blue-collar jobs has triggered low rises in recent years.
At the same time the training and role of firefighters has expanded, with the government's new earnings survey classifying crews in an associate professional and technical grade.
Mr Gilchrist, who won a two minute standing ovation from the 420 delegates, said firefighters wanted pay not praise from ministers who repeatedly hailed them as heroes after disasters, including last week's Potters Bar train crash.
"If we had a fiver for every time we have heard politicians thanking firefighters for their bravery and professionalism you could all retire tomorrow. We'd have a lot more than £30,000, we'd be millionaires," said Mr Gilchrist.
"But unsolicited testimonials at the scene of disasters and life threatening incidents to not pay the mortgage. They don't buy new school clothes for the kids or pay for one decent holiday a year.
"As they say, words really do come cheap."
