A GWENT Fire Brigades Union executive member has rejected the Bain review of firefighters' pay and conditions as "unhelpful and biased".

The Government-commissioned report was being published today - and ministers had hoped that the review would help resolve the crisis.

But it was boycotted by the Fire Brigades Union before it even began.

Rogiet-based Mike Smith, an executive member of the FBU, said: "We're not expecting anything new from Bain today. The preliminary findings were not helpful, did not address pay and were far from independent and biased. It can't just be a coincidence that Bain recommended the same 11% pay rise as that which was offered by the employers."

Now the union, which said the report was biased from the outset, seems certain to reject the recommended sweeping changes to working practices in return for a wage rise over two years.

The review will recommend an immediate pay rise of 4% with a further increase of 7% next year depending on changes to working practices.

The union said it was more interested in an statement expected later today from Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

Mr Smith said: "I just hope that Mr Prescott can take a more conciliatory tone, in spite of Bain."

Mr Prescott sparked a row last month by warning that around 10,000 jobs could be cut from the fire service in the next few years.

But the Bain report does not mention any figure for redundancies and is believed to have concluded there was no need for major job losses.

The union has called off a number of strikes in recent weeks so that peace talks can be held at the conciliation service Acas but has set two 48-hour stoppages from the end of January if the dispute is still deadlocked.

Union leaders will hold talks with Acas officials on Thursday but face-to-face negotiations with the employers will not begin until the second week in January.

A major sticking point to any deal will be changes to working practices.

The Bain report will call for more flexibility in shift patterns and fewer staff on duty at night.

The union believes this is dangerous because of the number of people who die in house fires during the hours of darkness.