IN A few short months, the year-long deal struck with the airport firefighters will come to an end.

All too soon, the island could be back to square one and facing work-to-rules, airport closures and bank holiday chaos. Unless the time has been used wisely, and a new permanent agreement has been forged between the firefighters and the States, passengers will get an unwelcome sense of deja vu as the gates start closing.

A reminder of those dark days comes today with news that relations with the firefighters are still far from satisfactory. Although they are at the heart of the issue at stake in the tribunal they feel excluded, unloved and resentful that no one has yet invited them.

It may be that the letter is in the post, but it remains unfortunate that a grievance has been allowed to build.

Worse, it seems that no one in the States has addressed the firefighters’ warning from four months ago that staffing could be stretched to breaking point and the airport close if staff were summoned to appear before the tribunal.

‘We’ll cover for sickness and training, but the deal does not include cover for tribunals’, runs their argument.

Of course, critics of the firefighters’ actions over the past year will point to an obvious contradiction in their position. They complain that they are not invited, and then warn of disruption if they do have to attend.

As Deputy Mary Lowe said in July: ‘If they don’t feel they have been listened to, then surely they should be welcoming the tribunal with open arms and the chance to go in there and tell it like it is.’

The tribunal is, indeed, an excellent opportunity for the firefighters to lay out all the grievances which so dramatically boiled over back in May.

But it will be a major surprise if one of the tribunal’s recommendations is not to improve communications.

Pay and conditions may be central to the dispute but, once again, it can be seen that what the firefighters want most keenly is simply to be listened to and understood.