We should breathe a sigh of relief, in this area at least, that the firefighters' strike did not have severe consequences.

Now that the crews are back at work, the two sides must spare no effort to find a solution to this long-running pay dispute.

Forty-eight hours with only basic fire cover is bad enough. Next time, the firefighters are threatening an eight-day walkout.

The strikers argue that the Government and the employers are to blame for not meeting their demand for professional status.

But equally, it can be argued that their 40 per cent claim is unreasonable.

Why did the Fire Brigades' Union wait 25 years since the last strike to start pushing for a higher pay scale?

Whoever is right or wrong, the only losers are the public. They will expect the two sides to get together and not stop talking until there is an agreement on the table.