Firefighters, who are seeking an annual five per cent pay increase for the next three years, claim they are paid about 10 per cent less than their mainland counterparts.

But Mr Barry said comparing pay across states was difficult, because some states pay allowances and others include allowances in base pay.

"I'm not sure they [Tasmanian firefighters] are paid a lot less than other states, it's hard to compare across jurisdictions," he told the hearing.

United Firefighters' Union Tasmanian industrial organiser Stephen McCullum said he "absolutely rejects" assertions that Tasmanian firefighters weren't getting paid much less than mainland counterparts after allowances and different skillsets were factored in.

Mainland firefighters at the "first class" or equivalent rank are paid about 10 per cent more than Tasmanians of the same rank, and factoring in allowances would widen - rather than narrow - this gap, he said.

He also claimed that senior Tasmanian firefighters were paid as much as $30,000 per annum less than mainlanders of the same rank.

Speaking in the same parliamentary estimates committee hearing, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management Jacquie Petrusma said the government had made six pay offers.

"If they'd accepted the offer already they would have had a 2.35 per cent pay increase in December last year." she said.

She called for the union to "come back to the table and keep on negotiating".

But Mr McCullum denied the suggestion his union had walked away from the discussions, and instead accused the government of delaying tactics.

"The enterprise agreement expired on June 30 last year, and they weren't prepared to meet us until September. They are the ones that have cancelled meetings and been unwilling to reschedule them," he said.

Firefighters, who are seeking an annual five per cent pay increase for the next three years, claim they are paid about 10 per cent less than their mainland counterparts.