AN offer to firefighters across Lancashire of cash payments from £250 to £1,000 to work through a possible strike over pensions could be counter-productive, the brigade’s union secretary has warned.

Chief fire officer Chris Kenny has written to all his 1,000-plus frontline staff urging them to ignore threatened industrial action in return for a special bonus in their wages.

Steve Harman, fire brigades union secretary for Lancashire, said some members who might have worked through a strike might now decline rather than seem ‘greedy’.

Former firefighter and FBU official Miles Parkinson, who as chairman of the Combined Fire Authority’s planning committee authorises contingency arrangements for any strike, said: “This makes me feel uncomfortable.”

The move comes two weeks into a national FBU ballot which could see action in September.

Around 100 of the brigade’s firefighters are not FBU members, and Mr Kenny hopes another 100 can be persuaded to standby through any strike to crew 50 of the services 63 appliances in case of call-outs. Mr Harman said: “It was inevitable our members would be asked to work during any strike – we expected that.

“A lot of our members have been angered by this offer of cash and I don’t think there will be a big uptake. There may have been some intending to work through any strike for whatever reason who might not do so now because it makes them look greedy.”

The Government has told fire services they can no longer call on the army to stand in during any dispute. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service staffing director Bob Warren said: “This is a dispute between unions and the government.

“Although we respect the legal right of our staff to take lawful industrial action, we are legally required to make a plan to maintain emergency fire cover.”

Hyndburn borough leader Coun Parkinson said: “This makes me feel uncomfortable.”