By Emma Ryan
RETAINED firefighters are set to resume their strike action after a resolution failed to be reached in the Labour Court.
Retained firefighters who are members of trade union SIPTU have voted to reject a Labour Court recommendation in their dispute saying it “did not go far enough.”
As a result of the vote, members will resume a strike at every fire station across the country tomorrow.
Last month, retained firefighters from Donegal’s 15 fire stations took to the picket line over a dispute around pay, conditions and a decent work/life balance.
Currently, retained firefighters are on call 24/7 for a minimum of 48 weeks a year and are required to live and work 2.5 kilometres from the station.
These requirements have led to problems with recruiting and retaining staff.
SIPTU Public Administration and Community Division Organiser, Karan O Loughlin, said members in the retained fire service believe the content of the Labour Court recommendation is a ‘major disappointment’.
“While there are some small adjustments made to the previous position of the employers, there was just not enough political will to inject the resources necessary to resolve the current impasse and create the environment for re-engagement on the broader issues in this dispute.
“While the headline figures that describe the percentage rises in relation to pay look meaningful, in fact they are large percentages of a small annual retainer.
“There is nothing in the recommendation to deal with the precarious nature of the firefighters’ earnings with the retainer, drill and training still the only guaranteed pay,” said Ms O’Loughlin.
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