Retained firefighters in Limerick begin industrial action

RETAINED firefighters across Limerick are beginning industrial action this week over job conditions.

The Retained Fire Service has brigades based at Abbeyfeale, Cappamore, Foynes, Kilmallock, Newcastle West and Rathkeale.

The industrial action planned by the Limerick bases is part of a larger campaign being carried out by SIPTU members across the country which began on Tuesday, June 6.

Retained firefighters are required to be on call 24/7, 365 days a year and must live and work within two and a half kilometres of their station.

Action began on June 6 with members restricting their work to responding to emergency calls only.

They will not cooperate with training, drills and radio calls through emergency centres and instead will be replaced by the use of mobile calls to fire service management.

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On June 13, a series of rolling work stoppages are scheduled to commence with an all-out-strike expected on June 20 if the dispute is not resolved.

Barry Naughton, who has worked at the fire station in Rathkeale for 25 years, said that the retained firefighters are looking for better conditions and for more firefighters to be recruited. 

“We want a better work/life balance and more recruits for the service to facilitate time off.

“The money is so bad that we can’t get people to join. We get about 8,500 a year before tax so if you have another job then it is really half of that. 

“We are on call all year but we get 28 annual leave days. However, we might not get to take that leave because we don’t have the staff to cover it. Some counties are worse than others but it is a national problem”.

The county rep for SIPTU continued: “It is a demanding job, you need to be within five minutes of the station at all times. 

“I have worked for a silage contractor for 17 years and he knows if I get the call to an incident, I have to go. 

“We have 12 officers in Rathkeale but we are down to 10 at the moment due to sickness and paternity leave. 

“Between interviewing and training, anyone we do take on won’t be on the fire engine for at least 12-18 months after the call goes out, that needs to be taken into account”.