THE Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is facing the threat of industrial action by civilian workers in a dispute over pay and working conditions.
Around 800 staff are set to come under a new salary and grading structure as part of the move to a single organisation, with Unison claiming around a quarter of workers will see a reduction in their wages of up to 35 per cent.
The trade union is due to meet with SFRS bosses next week, but officials say the two sides are currently "poles apart" on the issues, which affect back office staff, mechanics, hydrant testers and others.
A union spokesman said: "The package on offer from SFRS will never be acceptable to our members. More money has to be put into SFRS by the Scottish Government to enable a fair and just package to be put to our members."
Unison added that any attempt to impose the current offer would lead to a ballot for industrial action.
SFRS has previously warned it is considering cuts to its frontline services as a result of a £50 million funding gap.
A spokeswoman for the fire service said: “The board and the trade unions have reluctantly accepted that an agreement on a revised support staff pay and reward framework cannot be achieved at this stage and therefore have reached a failure to agree within the formal process.
"Accordingly, we have formally notified the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) of the failure to achieve a collective agreement.
"The SFRS will commence a statutory period of 45 days consultation with the trade unions, during which it is hoped we can identify measures that would facilitate a collective agreement.
"The service remains committed to offering staff an attractive pay and reward package that recognises their contribution."
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