Firefighters started balloting last night on a Labour Court recommendation that they should enter negotiations on all productivity items related to their claim for a 7 per cent pay increase, in line with that won by gardai last July.
The ballot will not be concluded until Monday, and it was not clear last night if the firefighters would vote to resume talks.
Failure to resume would lead to industrial action.
The Labour Court recommendation was discussed last night at a packed emergency general meeting of firefighter members of SIPTU in Liberty Hall, Dublin.
The section committee recommended acceptance of the Labour Court ruling, but this decision was reached only with difficulty, following a 2 1/2-hour meeting immediately before. It had been expected to last only an hour. It was described as difficult by the branch secretary, Mr Paul Smith, who said they still had reservations about a number of issues.
Central to their reservations are what productivity concessions they will be asked to give in return for the 7 per cent rise similar to that achieved by gardai.
In the Dublin Fire Brigade, pay has traditionally been linked to Garda rates.
The unions involved, SIPTU and IMPACT, argue they have already given enough productivity concessions to justify the increase.
The Garda increase was based on productivity already achieved, with a further 2 per cent for productivity yet to be negotiated.
Dublin Corporation, which is the main employer of the firefighters, argues that productivity already achieved is nowhere near what is necessary. It has tabled a list of six items it wants accepted to justify the 7 per cent rise.
Mr Smith said: "There are a number of very unpalatable items, like redundancies and the restructuring of the Fire Brigade, at a time when the men feel it is already at a very low level."
Firefighters from other centres were also present at the meeting, because what is agreed in Dublin has implications for them.
One Dublin fireman, who did not wish to be named, said when asked what he thought of the recommendation: "Not much at the moment. But everyone hopes it can be sorted out at the negotiating table."