Hopes of an early breakthrough are cooling but Andy Gilchrist, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, did hit a more conciliatory note today saying he hoped strike action could be avoided.
Speaking ahead of face-to-face talks at 5pm tonight with the deputy prime minister, John Prescott at his Westminster office, Mr Gilchrist said he hoped the talks would help resolve the bitter dispute over their 40% pay claim - which the government has rejected - and avoid strikes starting as planned at 9am on Tuesday.
However, Professor George Bain, who is heading a review into the future of the fire service, said in a letter to the Independent this morning that he will not rush his report, which is due in mid-December.
There has been speculation that next week's strikes could be called off if part of the review's findings were brought forward. There are 36 days of strikes planned for before Christmas.
The government's line to the FBU has been that it should wait for the Bain inquiry, however Downing Street has been under pressure to increase its pace and the prime minister's official spokesman indicated today that it may be brought forward. He said the review had to be fundamental and "not a sticking-plaster job", but that it could still be done within a matter of weeks rather than months.
But Prof Bain made clear today that he did not see how it was possible to publish an interim report because he needed several weeks to study more than 150 submissions to his inquiry team.
Prof Bain wrote: "This review has not been set up to avert the strike, but to present a long-term solution to the issues behind the strike - pay and modernisation in the fire service." The union has been refusing to take part in the review.
The FBU's executive met throughout the morning at the union's head office in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, but news of the meeting with Mr Prescott only emerged just before 1pm.
Mr Gilchrist said: "We are looking forward to face-to-face discussions with Mr Prescott. We sincerely hope these will prove fruitful and we can resolve the issues without recourse to national strike action."
