Firefighters could still face sack after failing to win concessions

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The Fire Brigades Union last night called off a 47-hour walkout that was due to start this morning and extend over bonfire night.

But the Standard has learned that union negotiators failed to win cast-iron guarantees from London fire brigade management to lift the threat of sacking all 5,500 front-line staff.

It was the brigade's hardline decision in August to issue all firefighters with "Section 188" notices, beginning a 90-day consultation on re-employing them on new contracts to force through longer day shifts, that infuriated staff and sparked the strike.

One brigade source with detailed knowledge of the negotiations said that the sacking notices had not been withdrawn or suspended: "We have not compromised one bit."

Today's strike was abandoned when both sides agreed to refer the dispute to an independent "resolution advisory panel". New shift patterns of 11-hour days and 13-hour nights could be endorsed, rather than the 12-hour shifts wanted by management. At present, firefighters work nine-hour days and 15-hour nights. However, the panel's findings are not binding.

The source added: "The London region [of the union] has been shocked by the reaction of its members and others about going on strike on bonfire night. As soon as they handed that [strike date] to us, they gave victory to us on a bloody plate." The resolution panel is due to meet on November 16, and if an agreement is reached then the sacking threat will be lifted.

London fire commissioner Ron Dobson said the talks were a step in the right direction: "My intention has always been to reach an agreement on proposals that will make Londoners safer and firefighters safer."

The FBU said it had offered to suspend today's strike because management had agreed to go to arbitration and delay any decision on sackings until the Tory-controlled London fire authority that oversees the brigade meets on January 26. A separate union work to rule — preventing staff from replacing absent colleagues — remains in force.