AIRPORT firefighters have agreed to a deal with the States ‘in principle’ only, it has emerged.

And it could take until February for an official agreement to be in place. The States announced the deal on Friday afternoon, but its statement made no mention of the agreement being in principle only.

Public Sector Remuneration Committee chairman Allister Langlois said terms of the deal were a matter for employer and employee, adding that the PSRC had agreed with the firefighters’ union, Unite, that it would not release details at this time.

But Unite regional manager Ron Le Cras (pictured) revealed that details were not being released now because the deal was not yet complete. ‘We have got an agreement in principle,’ he said. ‘We have a few odds and ends to iron out first. That’s why we are not releasing the details now. That’s the only reason, though – it’s not a secret.’

However, a source told the Guernsey Press at the weekend that firefighters had agreed to an additional £2,300 per man over the two years plus £900 each time they have to attend training or refresher courses. It is also believed the agreement would pay them £60 for every day they are scheduled to have off but on which they ‘agree’ to be on standby in case a watch falls short. They would then get paid overtime on top if they actually worked the shift.

Mr Le Cras would confirm only that the deal would be for two years, ending the threat of further action at the airport.