The head of the Fire Brigades Union has warned Labour MPs they cannot expect to receive financial support unless they back demands for a minimum salary of £30,000 for qualified fire fighters.

Threatening "industrial action" unless the pay demand is met, Andy Gilchrist says that the ball is now in the government's court.

He says that the Audit Commission has backed the pay settlement and called on Labour MPs and ministers to support the deal.

Speaking to ePolitix.com, the union's general secretary says he wanted to "avoid any unnecessary confrontation" with ministers.

"We're acutely aware of the service we provide but we have made it clear that if we don't get the issue of pay resolved we are prepared to recall our conference and regrettably we will recommend taking industrial action," he said.

"Fire fighters up and down the UK believe they are worth £30,000-a-year. If our employers don't think that we are then they ought to tell us how much we are worth."

In a move which could add to tensions between the government and the unions, Gilchrist warned Labour MPs that they must back the pay deal if they are to receive funding in future.

"Let me be clear. We will not be giving money to any particular prospective or existing Labour Party candidate that doesn't actually indicate a clear support for the type of policies that the TUC and the unions such as ourselves, and the RMT, are involved in," he said.

"If MPs want to write and say 'we don't think that fire fighters are worth £30,000-a-year' then don't write again and ask for money to get re-elected. Simple as that."

Whilst the union does not sponsor any MPs - it does give them money to fund election campaigns.

Gilchrist also hits out at Tony Blair over his failure to back up praise for fire fighters with a decent wage settlement.

"I think what Tony Blair ought to recognise is the truly tremendous job Britain's fire fighters do on a daily basis," he said.

"We're a little bit tired of the platitudes and the praise, the pats on the back and the testimonials at the scene of every disaster.

"We've got fire fighters that are claiming the working families tax credit. Some of them can't afford a decent holiday for their kids and struggle to buy them their school uniforms. That's a national disgrace."

Gilchrist also rejected suggestions that the looming summer of strikes was a sign that unions were returning to 1970s style militancy."I think what public sector unions are doing, and us included, is representing the aspirations of their members. It's nothing more sinister than that," he said.

"After some 20 years of chronic under-funding of all public services, what people are now saying is: 'look, we fought long and hard to get a Labour government in. It's five, six years on now and you're still not looking after the interests of the many millions of people that helped put you there'."