By Alan Jones
Press Association Newsfile

LONDON — Talks aimed at averting the threat of a strike by thousands of firefighters in London in a row over pay will be held today.

Leaders of the Fire Brigades Union will meet fire authority officials after claiming that 380 watch managers faced pay cuts of up to £2,000 a year under re-grading plans.

The union's executive has approved an industrial action ballot among over 5,000 firefighters in the capital if the dispute is not resolved

Regional secretary Joe MacVeigh said: "We do not accept that 380 fire service watch managers should be forced to accept a pay cut of up to £2,000 a year. Londoners will be disgusted by the way the issue has been handled and at the way their fire crews are being treated.

"There is genuine anger at every fire station in the capital on this issue and we want it dealt with in a fair and reasonable way. If it isn't, we will be left with no option other than to ballot for industrial action.''

The London Fire Brigade said the re-grading formed part of the deal which ended the bitter pay strike in 2003.

The brigade said it understood a large lobby of firefighters had been arranged for today's meeting, which it described as "completely inappropriate'' at this stage in the discussions.

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