There are growing signs that the government is trying to provoke the FBU into an all-out strike, in which the government hopes to inflict a crushing defeat on the union.
Last week firefighters arriving at the national fire training centre at Morton-in-the-Marsh in the Cotswolds were turned away. The training facilities are now occupied by the army, in an operation organised by the office of the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. Once again the Green Goddess army tenders are being prepared to operate during an expected FBU strike, likely to be called in September.
FBU members are currently balloting on strike action, as a result of the failure of the employers to pay a 4.2% pay increase, agreed at the conclusion of last year's industrial action. The payment of the increase was dependent on progress in the government's so-called 'modernisation' of the fire-service - cost-cutting and multi-skilling, forcing firefighters to work more hours with shorter breaks and to do jobs normally done by paramedics. The implementation of the agreement has to be verified by the National Audit Commission, which has produced a 20-page report which the employers are 'studying'.
On August 13 the employers failed to return to the negotiating table. In effect the government is saying to firefighters, "We beat you last time, and now we are going to rub your face in it, by refusing even to pay you the money we agreed at the end of the last dispute."
Last time round the government turned the table on the firefighters, sabotaging agreement with the employers and suddenly introducing 'modernisation' into the dispute. Now they want to crush the union for a whole historic period, something they have been so far unable to do to the RMT.
A strike is now very likely. If it happens it is likely to be a long and bitter dispute, with the media rabidly organised against the strikers. Solidarity with the firefighters is going to be a key task for trade unionists and radical activists in the autumn.
The union's ballot ends at the end of August.