Firefighters strike: retained workers continue industrial action

Members of the retained fire fighters service resumed their strike action on Wednesday morning having last week rejected a proposed settlement of their dispute over pay and staffing levels.

Around 2,000 retained firefighters at some 200 stations around the country are involved in the dispute which centres on their demands for substantial increases to their overall pay, improved recruitment and retention by the local authorities who employ them and rostered time off.

At present, the workers, who are technically part-time and permitted to hold other jobs but in many cases say they are on call 24/7 except for when they are on annual leave, are paid a retainer of between €8,000 and €12,000 and then on the basis of attendance for training or call-outs.

The number of call-outs has been stagnant in recent years and in longer term decline leading, their union Siptu says, to a fall in their overall levels of remuneration.

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After both the union and Local Government Management Association attended the Labour Court recently, a proposal that included substantial increases to the retainer and the recruitment of some 400 additional firefighters was tabled.

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Siptu recommended rejection of the proposed deal, however, arguing that which the increases were large in percentage terms, they were based on such low figures that they did not address the underlying grievances. It said that the 400 figure, if it could be achieved, would only get the service back to 50 firefighters above the level at which it is currently supposed to be operating and would not allow for the rostering arrangements being sought.

Minister for Housing and Local Government Darragh O’Brien had recommended acceptance and suggested that implementation of the terms on offer would not prejudice any case made subsequently by the firefighters’ during the forthcoming national public sector pay talks.

The firefighters subsequently voted against acceptance of the proposals by a margin of 82 per cent to 18 per cent.

Divisional Organiser Karan O’Loughlin said the renewed action was being taken to ensure the recommendations of an earlier Government commissioned report on the future of the service was implemented in full.

“The lack of understanding about the job and the lack of respect for the men and women in the retained service is shocking and it is past time now that the national and local government take their responsibility for this essential front-line service and seek to resolve this dispute.”

Emergency cover is being provided by the firefighters and those requiring assistance have been advised to call 999 or 112 if the service’s assistance is urgently required.