The ruling executive of the Fire Brigades Union pulled back yesterday from naming walkout dates after disclosing that progress had been made during private discussions in recent weeks with local authority employers.
The FBU meeting near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, agreed a timetable for stoppages to be implemented if talks stall and a meeting on Monday of fire employers fails to produce a settlement.
Andy Gilchrist, FBU general secretary, said there was "one last chance" to resolve the dispute, in which the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, has threatened to impose a pay rise and enforce changes to working practices.
The dispute has proved the most damaging industrial conflict yet to hit the Labour government.
The employers, Mr Gilchrist said, were under an "enormous responsibility" and the union's executive would consider "very carefully" all proposals they tabled when deciding whether to trigger the strikes.
It is thought the FBU leadership, which demanded a 40% pay rise last summer, is prepared to accept 16% over three years, but it opposes job cuts and strings tied to any deal.
Brigade representatives argue that proposed changes to crewing levels and shifts would put firefighters and the public at risk.
Ministers and local authority officials have attempted to allay these fears over recent weeks but the FBU, which has held 15 days of strikes so far, said no agreement had been reached.
A spokesman for Mr Prescott said: "We are pleased the FBU has not called further strikes. This means there is still time for a negotiated settlement to be reached. Hopefully, we are now within sight of an agreement that will bring an end to this dispute."
A local authority spokeswoman said: "We obviously welcome the decision not to call further strikes. It can only be beneficial during the positive discussions that are currently taking place."
