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File image of fire engines outside a fire station in Co Cork Alamy Stock Photo
Industrial Action
Retained firefighters vote to accept WRC proposals to resolve industrial dispute
Retained firefighters had been engaged in industrial action between June and mid-August.
11.14am, 5 Sep 2023
8.5k
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RETAINED FIREFIGHTERS HAVE voted to accept proposals from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to resolve their industrial dispute, trade union Siptu has said.
This follows intensive consultation last week and a secret ballot.
The 2,000-strong part-time fire service, which provides fire and first responder emergency services, had been engaged in industrial action for over two months due to staffing numbers and a dispute over pay.
Many firefighters are unable to take annual leave due to staffing shortages and they have also seen their incomes reduced due to reductions in call outs over the last number of years, the union stated, according to Siptu.
In a statement today, Siptu divisional organiser Karan O Loughlin said: “This has been a protracted battle to bring the poor terms and conditions for retained firefighters into the public domain and to begin the process of rebuilding the service.
“While today’s vote ends the current strike, it does not end that battle.”
She said Siptu representatives will write to the employers and to the Minister for Housing and Local Government Darragh O’Brien “immediately”.
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“We will advise of the acceptance of the [WRC] document and seek to engage in discussions in respect of the retainer and the rollout of the WRC terms, especially those clauses that relate to recruitment, pay and time off,” O Loughlin said.
“We will be making it clear that we expect the terms of the WRC document to be delivered in full and in a timely manner. We also expect that the political commitments in respect of the next movement on the retainer will be delivered in full.”
Minister for Local Government Darragh O’Brien sais that he welcomes the decision to accept the WRC recommendations. He thanked the firefighters and their representatives for their constructive engagement.
“I have always acknowledged the challenges associated with both the recruitment and retention of retained fire personnel and I have consistently advocated for a better approach and I will continue to do so.
“Our firefighters are an invaluable frontline service staffed by very dedicated and selfless people, serving their communities around the clock. I will continue to support them in the work which they do,” he said.
The Siptu national elected committee is to meet this morning to plan phase two of the process.
Siptu’s sector organiser Brendan O’Brien said: “The retained firefighters are battle scarred after many years of struggle over these issues. While the WRC document does not deliver a cure for all that ails the Retained Fire Service, it has created a path forward to commence the transformation that the service needs.
“Firefighters are to be commended for their steadfast solidarity to each other and to their communities during this very difficult dispute.”
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Great to see this article,very timely as what has happened in Iran over the last forty years is just starting in Afghanistan. Convert or die is basically what is happening .The separation of church and state is so important.
From reading this article
I cant help but see the UN is in terrible need of reform
It’s toothless organisation not fit for purpose
Every aggressor from Russia,Saudi Arabia, Iran Israel and the USA just ignore it and its resolutions
Time to disband the UN and start again
@John Mcmahon: The UN is certainly toothless and we do need more powerful (and democratically accountable) global governance. However the UN does do a lot of good. There are a number of countries that are unresponsive to the UN, another set that are responsive only within fixed areas, but most countries actually interact with the UN. For those countries the UN’s human rights bodies are invaluable. Some of the UN agencies like the UNHCR and the World Food Programme have undoubtedly saved millions of lives.
Somewhat ironic I think. I believe The Baha’í Faith originated in Iran, tho’ I may be wrong. I’ve found the Bahai’s that I’ve known to be quite good people.
@Colm Mcmahon: it’s a little bit of truth, thay lots of people don’t wnat to know about. Hamas are brutal against their own people if they happen to be different to what hamas accept as “right”.
I despise what Israel does in Palestine but the other option isn’t great for freedom either.
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