Talks are resuming between firefighters and their employers on Wednesday in a bid to avert more strikes and settle the long-running pay dispute.

Leaders of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) are meeting local authority employers at the London headquarters of the conciliation service Acas.

The talks are scheduled to last for up to a month, with the FBU executive holding weekly meetings to be briefed on progress.

The way for the talks to begin was cleared by a meeting between union leaders and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott on Monday.

Briefings

Mr Gilchrist said the deputy prime minister had agreed that the controversial Bain Report on the future of the service would not be implemented until talks had taken place.

There had been reports that some fire officers were already holding briefings on how to introduce the report's changes, a claim dismissed by employers.

The FBU had also complained local authority employers had not given written confirmation of an undertaking that a fresh mandate for strikes would not be needed while talks were under way.

Andy Gilchrist expects to be in talks for a month

FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist said as the talks started that he wanted to eradicate low pay in the fire service.

Charles Nolda, chief executive of the employers organisation, said he welcomed the chance to take part in what he hoped would be "real discussions" on pay and modernisation.

He made it clear that employers believed the fire service should be modernised along the lines of recommendations in the Bain review, which has been rejected by the union.

After Monday's talks with Mr Prescott, Mr Gilchrist said: "We have had a very good meeting with the deputy prime minister, who has made clear that there will be no moving ahead with the Bain agenda in the fire service without discussion and therefore negotiation.

"As a result of that we will be happy to commence national negotiations on pay tomorrow, no doubt at Acas with our fire service employers."

Military action

Last week the FBU decided to suspend further strikes, ahead of talks with employers.

Monday's meeting was held after Mr Prescott refused to confirm reports that he was planning to ban firefighters from striking in the event of military action in Iraq.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, the government could seek an injunction to prevent industrial action.

It fears troops who cover for the strike may be needed abroad - and may be unable to cope with a terrorist attack.

Mr Prescott said legal action was not a matter for him. Any injunction would have to be sought by the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith.