Cork city firefighters could escalate industrial action unless council proposal meets demands 

CORK city firefighters will make a decision on whether to escalate industrial action efforts based on a proposal being delivered by Cork City Council this afternoon.

Siptu members employed as firefighters in Cork city have been picketing for over 40 days in response to the closure of Ballincollig Fire Station, which some fear is endangering public safety. Ballincollig Fire Station has been closed since 2021, and staffing levels remain a grave concern for both firefighters and the public.

A Cork City Fire Brigade source said they are expecting a proposal from Cork City Council this afternoon which will determine the course of their dispute. They said Siptu members hope a meaningful proposal can be drawn up.

Nonetheless, they stressed firefighters are prepared to “escalate” industrial action efforts if it is deemed unsatisfactory.

Siptu members will meet today to decide on what action to take. Pickets are currently in place before shifts in Anglesea St and Ballyvolane Fire Station.

They primarily affect administrative duties but members are willing to escalate if necessary. “Basically Cork City Council wouldn’t give us a proposal outside of the WRC (Workplace Relations Commission) and they wouldn’t go into the WRC while we were still taking industrial action,” the source said.

“Our position was that we wouldn’t stop industrial action until they gave us this proposal. If the proposal we receive... is a meaningful one we will roll straight into conciliation. If it isn’t a meaningful proposal we are out.” The source said they are still unsure of what form further industrial action will take if required.

“We should know by this afternoon whether they want to escalate this or put it to bed. Given the massive public support and the resolution in the council chamber in the last council meeting I thought that would be it. However, they are obviously not going to put their hands up and say ‘we were wrong’ and ‘we shouldn’t have done it.’

“I would have expected something before now. When you are faced with a crisis you have to look at where it’s going to end and get to that as soon as possible. If city council had said that they had tried but were unsuccessful in getting retained crew and looked at plan b then this would have gone away.” 

Siptu members are hopeful for a positive outcome.

“I’m hoping that some good will come out of this and we can put this to bed once and for all. If it doesn’t people are going to want us to escalate this. However, what format this will take is still unknown.”