UK News 27-08-2004 who: Fire Brigades Union what: Agrees end to two-year fire dispute where: LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: The most bitter dispute for 20 years "ended with a whimper as the exhausted parties - government ministers, fire authorities and union leaders - agreed a compromise," says The Guardian after an agreement over Bank Holiday working (the final bone of contention) was struck in a brief 15-minute meeting. Thepay award "is one of the best in the public sector," putting a qualified firefighter on 25,000 a year, "but is well below the 40% jump to 30,000 demanded by the FBU when it unleashed a wave of stoppages in the autumn of 2002." [... more]

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