Retained firefighters suspended their strike on 17 August following 10 weeks of rolling industrial action.
The decision came after 12 hours of discussions between SIPTU and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
The talks were prompted by Minister for Housing and Local Government Darragh O’Brien who wrote to SIPTU and the LGMA asking them to “re-engage with the Workplace Relations Commissions”.
“It is in all our interests that normal fire service operations are resumed as quickly as possible to ensure public safety and the safety of fire service personnel,” he wrote.
2,000 retained firefighters across 200 fire stations – including those at Castlepollard, Mullingar, Kilbeggan and Athlone – participated in the industrial action over inadequate pay as well as recruitment and retention issues.
employment
SIPTU divisional organiser Karan O’Loughlin said the latest talks have led to improved terms of employment being proposed to service members.
The suspension of the industrial action was requested by the WRC in order to offer firefighters time to consider the proposal.
According to Ms O’Loughlin, the prospective terms state that new recruits will be guaranteed €18,000 upon joining the service and would progress through the pay grades quicker.
On-call firefighters with more than eight years’ service will be guaranteed earnings of over €21,500 under the draft agreement and station officers are guaranteed earnings of €27,400 and €31,730.
The draft agreement also outlines a reduction in the mandatory work period for firefighters from 48 to 24 weeks with an option to be available more frequently on a voluntary basis.
Industrial action was ramped up on Saturday, 12 August as fire stations cut off internal communications with management except for lifesaving information.
additional stations
SIPTU said that if current conditions were not revised, a single additional station in each county would be closed every week from Saturday, 19 August prior to the breakthrough in negotiations.
SIPTU shop steward for Mullingar Fire Station Tony Sheerin spoke to Topic about the latest developments in the dispute: “They really have done the best they can,” he said. “Is it good enough? I don’t think so.
“It’s probably the best we could have expected at this moment in time,” he added.
SIPTU will hold meetings in fire stations across the country to outline the terms with balloting expected to start at the end of August or beginning of September.
“Personally, I believe it’s going to be very close,” said Tony.
It has been a difficult time for firefighters and their families who have been denied social welfare as a result of the industrial action.
Tony said that he thinks these factors will lead to firefighters choosing to agree to the proposed terms despite his belief “they haven’t gone far enough”.
“There’s a lot of stress and anxiety. The lads just want to see an end to it.”
