NO one involved in the fire service negotiations escapes responsibility for the deadlock.

The local government employers have dithered. The Government has interfered and hindered progress. And the Fire Bridges Union has not budged from its over-ambitious demands.

There has been an intransigence on all sides, which at every turn has stymied all possible routes to a settlement.

Increasingly, public opinion has become frustrated by the inability to reach a satisfactory settlement.

Public criticism goes with the territory for both local authorities and the Government. However, it is a new phenomenon for the FBU.

For generations there has been a genuine affection and affinity between firefighters and the public they serve. This was apparent in the 1977 strike, when the FBU knew it could rely on widespread support.

This was also apparent late last year when the FBU embarked on a programme of industrial action for the first time in quarter of a century. There was a great deal of sympathy for the union's demands for better parity with other public services, such as the police and health workers.

As the dispute has dragged on sympathy and support has ebbed away.

It will ebb away even more if the strike planned for next Thursday goes ahead.

Many people, having to settle for pay rises around the rate of inflation, will find it difficult to empathise with a set of workers rejecting a pay offer well above inflation, albeit with strings attached.

Many more people will find it difficult to empathise when such industrial action takes place when the nation is on the verge of going to war.

The deployment of troops on firefighting duties at a time when they could be better used in support of military action is not calculated to win the FBU any new friends.

The union would be wise to reconsider its plans to go on strike, and put its dispute on hold until the crisis over Iraq is settled on way or another.