The vote would bring an end to strikes

Firefighters are being recommended by their national officials to accept a 16% pay offer which was hammered out with employers in May.

Both frontline firefighters and emergency control staff across Scotland have been holding branch meetings to discuss the pay offer and seven out of the eight brigades are believed to be in favour of the deal.

It would give an average annual salary of �25,000 for fully-qualified firefighters from summer 2004.

Officials say they will have a new pay formula in place linking future rises to professional technical workers rather than manual workers.

Only Central Fire Brigade has rejected the offer in Scotland, and the result in Strathclyde was very close with 51.8% in favour to 47.9% against.

However the results in several of the other areas were said to have been overwhelming.

The final decision will be taken at a special conference in Glasgow on Thursday where up to 1,000 delegates representing all 58 UK fire brigades are expected to return a vote of two to one in favour of bringing an end to the dispute.

"I think we can step out in the streets with our heads high over the deal." Jock Munro FBU Scottish campaign coordinator

Jock Munro, an FBU campaign co-ordinator, said: "The members have been asked what they think of the offer and the results are known.

"We now go to the national executive meeting on Thursday where we expect that the offer will be accepted by two to one, nationally.

"The meeting tomorrow is really a rubber-stamping exercise by Scottish representatives to see where we stand in Scotland."

He added: "There are different feelings among members; anger at the way the Labour government has behaved over the dispute and relief that the dispute may be coming to a conclusion.

"I think we can step out in the streets with our heads high over the deal."