You have probably read in the papers or seen on television that once again firefighters are in dispute with their employers.

They would have you believe that this is about our stand-down time between midnight and 7am during a 15-hour night shift (when we still answer emergency calls, do work arising from those calls, carry out fire safety inspections and do other essential work).

Well, although we would and will defend our working conditions, as I'm sure all employees would, this is not what our dispute is about.

After a long and bitter dispute during 2002/2003, which ended last June we signed an agreement that was put forward by our employers, giving us a phased 16 per cent wage rise over three years in return for new working practices and modernisation of the fire service.

We signed this agreement in good faith and we have implemented, or are in the process of implementing, everything that was in it. The Government instigated an independent audit commission which has verified this.

However, our employers are now refusing to pay us the next stage of our pay rise unless they can add a new section on to the stand-down period. We feel this is a totally unfair and dishonourable thing to do. We kept our side of the bargain they should keep theirs.

If they wish to discuss the stand-down period then it should be a separate issue and not forced on to us as part of a previous agreement.

We were promised a total rise of 16 per cent over three years, finishing in July 2004. So far, we have only received 7.5 per cent. I feel sure you would also be aggrieved if this had happened to you.

We do not want to take industrial action again, although we may be forced to, we just want what we feel is rightfully ours. So, once again, we ask for your support.

-Andy Hockley, Fire Brigades Union branch secretary, Worthing Fire Station, Ardsheal Road, Worthing