Cork fire station officer calls on Minister to intervene in retained firefighters dispute 

A Cork fire station officer has called on the Minister for Housing, Local Government, and Heritage Darragh O’Brien to step in and make an offer that will help to end the current impasse concerning retained firefighters.

Those stationed in Cork and across the country resumed their strike action on Wednesday, July 26, with crews only responding to life-threatening incidents and 50% of stations off the run at any one time.

It comes after members of the retained service, who are paid an annual retainer for being on-call, voted to reject a Labour Court recommendation aimed at resolving a dispute over pay and conditions.

The Labour Court had recommended that the retainer be increased by between 24% and 32.7%.

However, members voted by an overwhelming majority of 82% to 18% to reject the recommendation.

“We are hoping that Darragh O’Brien would step in with something and make an interesting offer to come to the table and move things alon g.

“What was on the table wouldn’t attract people into the job,” said Jonathan Madden, station officer in Mallow Fire Station.

“We will keep battling on. We just want improved pay and conditions because we can’t get people into the job.

“Currently we have people looking to leave the job because it is no longer paying them. We want to serve our communities.

“We want to go back to doing our job and look after the communities. 

“We don’t have enough people to man the fire engines in some stations and it is not going to get any better.”

The Siptu National Retained Fire Fighter Committee has agreed to undertake a national consultation at all retained fire stations as strike action continues around the country.

Siptu public administration and community divisional organiser, Karan O’Loughlin, said: 

“Retained fire fighters realise that their employers and the Government are not listening and that there is currently a lack of political will to engage meaningfully to resolve this dispute.

“In these circumstances, the dispute actions will have to be escalated. 

“The national committee will meet again on August 9 to consider the consultation outcomes and actions.”

Siptu sector organiser Brendan O’Brien said there is a window of opportunity.

“The longer the management and the Government continue to turn away from the retained fire service, the harder it will be to resolve this dispute,” he said.

“There is a window of opportunity now for engagement on a resolution before a serious level of escalation further entrenches positions.”

A spokesperson for Minister O’Brien told The Echo a resolution to this dispute that addresses the issues of recruitment and retention within the retained fire service is possible through an acceptance of the Labour Court recommendation which provides for a substantial improvement in the earnings and conditions of retained firefighters.

“We remain steadfast in the belief that a resolution to this dispute can only be found through continued engagement in the context of public sector pay policy,” the spokesperson added.