'I never thought I’d see myself standing in front of a fire station asking for better pay'

Johnny Madden, station officer at Mallow Fire Station: 'We have held open days, recruitment days, you name it, but people don’t show up for interviews. The job is stressful.' Picture: David Creedon

A Cork firefighter has said he never thought he would see the day when he would be standing on a picket line after a new pay deal was rejected by unions and crews on Wednesday.

Strike action is due to resume across the country next week as retained or part-time firefighters fight for better conditions.

It comes after they voted to reject a Labour Court recommendation that was aimed at resolving the issues.

Part-time firefighters are currently on an annual retainer of €8,870 and it was recommended the payment would be increased to €11,769.

However, the deal was rejected by a majority of 82% to 18% and the firefighter’s union Siptu said the proposals were a major disappointment.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Jonathan Madden, who is a retained station officer in Mallow, said: “I never thought I’d see myself standing in front of a fire station where I’ve worked for 23 years, asking for better pay and conditions.

“My wages are different, but I can’t get any new recruits in, and no one wants the job.

“With this increase proposed at the Labour Court, that’s basically €230 a week versus around €190.

Firefighters protest outside Clonakilty Fire Station last week. Picture: Andy Gibson

“They [retained firefighters] are on call 24 hours a day seven days a week and here in Mallow alone, it is very busy. The city and county of Cork is bigger, but the staffing numbers haven’t changed.

“Another station could be quiet, but we get around 280 calls a year and that could be five calls in a row or more.

It's like covid, we can’t go anywhere. With this job, you must live within a 3.5km radius of the station and you have a pager, and you go when the call comes in.

“I was a painter and decorator, but I was limited, I had to pack it in. Now I do this job. I couldn’t go anywhere unless someone stepped in. We don’t have the numbers we should have 12 retained firefighters, but we only have nine.

“We have held open days, recruitment days, you name it, but people don’t show up for interviews. The job is stressful."

Siptu represents about 2,000 retained firefighters across 200 stations around the country.

Strike action got under way last month and on June 26, the union agreed to suspend it, pending the court’s recommendations.

Firefighter and Siptu representative Billy Crowley, who is based at Anglesea Street fire station in Cork City said: “Staffing numbers have not changed since 1975.

“We have more people living in Cork, but still the same number of firefighters. Anyone who was a retained firefighter went for the full-time jobs and this gap was highlighted ages ago. Those retained workers help fill the gaps — now we don’t have them.

We are two years trying to recruit workers and we have been in and out of the Labour Court and Work Relations Commission.

“We are borrowing the retainers from the Cork County fire stations. That is not sustainable.

“There are 140 firefighters on staff in Cork City and at any one time, there are 19 on duty.

“Between 10 and 12 retained firefighters’ man each fire station. There are 214 dedicated part-time firefighters working for Cork county fire department."

Mr Crowley said having rejected the proposals by the Labour Court, strike action will continue next week.

“We are going back into the WRC on Wednesday and at the same time our retained colleagues will be on the picket line, I am hopeful for a change."