County Limerick retained firefighters call off planned strike action
FIRE stations across County Limerick will remain in service this Tuesday as a planned strike by retained firefighters will no longer go ahead.
Following exploratory talks by the Labour Court on Monday, over 2,000 retained firefighters across the country have agreed to suspend a planned all-out strike over pay and conditions.
A full hearing is due to take place on Monday, June 26.
A deescalated, lower form of industrial action will continue, which will see retained firefighters at Rathkeale, Abbeyfeale, Cappamore, Foynes, Newcastle West and Kilmallock fire stations refusing to engage in training exercises
Barry Naughton, a driver mechanic at Rathkeale Fire Station and a member of SIPTU’s negotiating committee told Limerick Live he is happy moving forward with a full Labour court hearing and that SIPTU will “attend it and flush it out and see where it leads us.”
“I'm feeling happy about where we are at the moment, but I'd like to give this engagement a chance to do its job,” he said.
Retained firefighters had begun rolling work stoppages last week and had threatened to escalate the action to an all-out strike from today, before the Labour Court's announcement.
SIPTU Public Administration and Community Division Organiser, Karan O Loughlin, said: “Following on from exploratory discussions attended by the SIPTU retained firefighter negotiating committee and representatives of the Local Government Management Association (LGMA) today, the Labour Court has decided there is the basis for a full hearing concerning this dispute.”
“Our members appreciate the intervention of the Court in this matter and have suspended their industrial action at its request. However, the resolution to this dispute will be complex and difficult. Our members will not settle for anything other than an agreement which safeguards the functioning of this vital emergency service into the future,” she added.
In a statement, the Local Government Management Agency said: “Following exploratory engagement between the management side, SIPTU and the Labour Court today relating to the ongoing dispute regarding the retained fire service, the Labour Court has confirmed that it will hold a formal hearing next Monday, June 26.
"Reflecting the engagement by both parties in this process, SIPTU has agreed to significantly deescalate the current industrial action, which is welcome.”