KENT'S firefighters are set to go on strike following a breakdown in pay negotiations with their employers.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union in the county are expected to give their backing to national strike action after calls for a 40 per cent pay rise were dismissed as unrealistic by their bosses.

Talks between union representatives and the Fire Service National Employers ended with no deal being reached over calls from firefighters for the annual average salary to be increased from £21,500 to £30,000.

Firefighter Mark Simmons, chairman of the Kent branch of the FBU, said: "When you look at us compared to other professions like police officers, nurses, and every profession under the sun, they earn more than firefighters. I don't think it is unreasonable."

Firefighters at stations manned 24-hours a day currently work two days and two night shifts, followed by three-and-a-half full days off. All wholetime firefighters, including those at day manned stations, work an average of 42 hours week.

According to Mr Simmons, many of them are forced to take on second jobs to make ends meet. He said: "On £21,500 a year you can see why they need a second job."

He added: "We didn't join the job to put people's lives at risk and striking is a moral dilemma for us. It would certainly be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

"I am really hoping that the public can see where we are coming from. We are not greedy people. We just want our wages to reflect the job we do."

The FBU will decide whether or not to proceed with strike action at a recalled annual conference on Thursday, September 12.

John Ransford, the director of education and social policy a for the Local Government Association, one of three components of the National Fire Employers, said: "At a time when other key public service personnel are negotiating far smaller increases, it seems unbelievable that the FBU are holding a gun to the heads of their employers over a wage demand that simply cannot, and would not be met.

"It seems that the FBU are putting their own pay before the shared goals of investing in better public services urgently needed to protect people's safety and quality of life."

Employers estimate that if the Government would have to find an additional £440 million to meet the FBU's requests in full.