Firefighters to suspend strike action as Labour Court talks to begin

Industrial action outside Ardee Fire Station in Co Louth this week.  Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Retained firefighters are to suspend strike action pending Labour Court talks on Monday.

Siptu, the public service union which represents the fire service, was invited by the Labour Court to “exploratory discussions” on the dispute over pay and conditions.

The Labour Court also requested the Local Government Management Agency, as the employer in the dispute, to attend Monday’s talks.

Retained firefighters began industrial action across up to 50% of fire stations this week. 

All-out strike action was scheduled for next week unless talks on pay and conditions had begun.

Should Monday’s talks fail to resolve the dispute, full strike action will begin the following morning, on Tuesday, June 20, said Siptu.

Local Government Minister Darragh O’Brien said that although he supports a pay rise for retained firefighters, he thinks that this should take place through public sector pay talks, the next round of which start informally next month.

Siptu public administration and community division organiser Karan O'Loughlin said that the union's National Committee for Retained Firefighters unanimously agreed to suspend all industrial action and strike action for 24 hours starting at 12.01am on Monday to facilitate Labour Court discussions.

“While our members appreciate the intervention of the court in this matter, the resolution to this dispute will be complex and difficult,” said Ms O'Loughlin.

However, the Siptu negotiating committee have agreed to attend and will make every effort to create the space for a resolution to this dispute.” 

Siptu sector organiser Brendan O’Brien said that the Siptu negotiating committee “will do their utmost” on Monday but it is imperative that the employers attend the meeting “with a willingness to engage in a manner that they have not done to date". 

“There must be a willingness to acknowledge that there need to be resources put into the retained fire service in order to commence its rebuilding," said Mr O'Brien.

"There must also be proper remuneration of firefighters to reflect the responsibilities of their job.” 

Of some 3,000 firefighters employed nationally, some 2,000 are retained, part-time firefighters.

Unlike full-time firefighters who are paid a wage and accrue benefits such as holiday pay, retained firefighters are paid a retainer of some €8,500 annually to be on call. They are additionally paid per callout.

They say that the annual €8,500 retainer which retained firefighters are paid has not been increased for many years despite inflation and increasing demands of the job.

Unless pay and conditions are improved, some firefighters fear that no one will enter and stay in the fire service which is already facing serious difficulties in recruiting and retaining members.