IF the present firefighters’ industrial dispute, which is likely to lead to what amounts to a work to rule on Wednesday, were solely about pay, it would attract very little public sympathy.

There is widespread awareness that times are hard, that public sector economies are vital and that, despite this, there is a two per cent deal on the table.

However, although firefighters say that they will not engage in negotiations about any new offer until pay grievances relating to last year are up for discussion, there seems to be more to the impasse than the size of pay packets. There appears to be genuine concern about terms and conditions of employment which, it is claimed, materially affect the efficiency of the service.

In particular, two reviews have highlighted problems with staffing arrangements and training for certain forms of firefighting. And Fire and Rescue Association president Craig Channing has said that there is a real danger that the service will be degraded to the point at which it cannot fulfil its duties without putting personnel and members of the public in danger.

These are serious assertions which, given not only the protective role of the service but also the risks which firefighters face in so much of their work, must be taken seriously.

In spite of this, the strategy that is being employed to ensure that the issues are examined and addressed is highly questionable. The waters have been comprehensively muddied through the terms and conditions dispute having been rolled up into outstanding concerns about pay.

Firefighters should also be aware that, as he has promised, Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur is most unlikely to give an inch as matters stand. He and his ministerial colleagues will be all too aware that one exception on the pay front will make them appear weak while also undermining a vital element of their economic policy.

In addition, members of the service must realise that, through a combination of intransigence and industrial action, they might well jeopardise the very considerable esteem in which they are held by the Jersey public. Once lost, reputation and high regard are difficult to recover.

With all this taken into consideration, the firefighters’ leaders in this dispute would do well to separate its various strands, accept the general belt-tightening on pay and press for the separate consideration of their other very serious concerns.