THE draft agreement said a 4% pay rise would be given to firefighters from Novem-ber 7. Following completion of further negotiations under stage two of the agreement another 3.5% would be paid from November 7 next year.

Qualified firefighters would be guaranteed a basic pay of £25,000 by next November. The total increase on the pay bill was 16%.

Modernisation proposals called Agenda for Change - with a view to stage one reaching agreement by Feb-ruary 28, 2003, and stage two between April and Sept-ember 2003. Agenda for Change would have included all modernisation items either side wish to raise.

Over the next week the National Joint Council would have agreed on which items belong in stage one and which in stage two.

If negotiations broke down, reference could be made by either party to an independent panel - consisting of a member from the Audit Commission, TUC and an apporpriate eminent person - which would adjudicate on the contested issues. The adjudication would be binding and both parties would guarantee to accept the outcome.

A new pay structure for retained firefighters would be brought in next April and an evaluation would be made on the jobs of emergency fire control staff with a view to raising their pay.

The NJC was then to pursue the issue of funding with the government.