THE threat of strike action by Greater Manchester firefighters should now be over.

That's the forecast of Greater Manchester County Fire Service which says a threatened walk-out should be averted following a decision by the employers side of the National Joint Council (NJC) to reconvene its national panel - which handles brigade employer-union disputes.

County Fire Officer George Almond has welcomed the decision and says he will contact Fire Brigades Union officials to resume negotiations as a matter of urgency.

However, Greater Manchester FBU officials say they have received no such communication to date but they will look at any proposal which the Greater Manchester Fire Authority may make when the union's executive council meets next Tuesday, October 19. Meanwhile, authority chairman Councillor Fred Walker, one of the employers representatives on the NJC and who supported the resolution to reconvene the disputes panel, has also welcomed the move.

"This should put an end to the threat of industrial action in Greater Manchester, given the reasons for the proposed strike."

Earlier this year, the FBU called for a ballot over possible industrial action because of planned Greater Manchester brigade restructuring.

This came following the publication of a brigade divisional review.

They were also unhappy at what they claimed were plans to switch the handling of national conditions of service disputes procedures to a local level.

Greater Manchester firefighters are mid-way through a ballot for strike action.

The ballot officially closes at 12 noon on Monday, October 18, with the results are expected shortly after.

Employers have now urged the FBU to end the ballot and get back round the table to try to resolve the issue over the divisional review through "proper" and "sensible negotiations".

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