Mayo retained firefighters resume strike action

ONE-hundred-and-twenty-two Mayo-based retained firefighters have resumed strike action after their representatives rejected an offer of a substantial pay increase.

Today (Wednesday, July 26), retained firefighters took to the pickets lines across the county but are continuing to respond to emergency calls.

The Labour Court recently recommended that retained firefighters receive a retainer of €11,769, a 36c per hour increase.

However, the overwhelming majority of retained firefighters who are SIPTU members rejected the proposal.

This has raised fears of all-out strike action, which had previously been threatened during the last phase of industrial action.

All 12 stations in Mayo were subject to various degrees of rolling strike action in previous weeks over an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

Retained firefighters have been demanding a pay increase from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has, as well as improved working conditions.

Retained firefighters currently earn at least €8,500 per annum and must be based within 2.5 kilometres of their station at all times – except for 28 days of annual leave.

MEP Maria Walsh wants talks to resume. 

Weighing in on the debate, Midlands-North-West MEP Maria Walsh called for talks between firefighters and the government to resume.

Ms Walsh has raised the issue at the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. She also called on the European Commission to guarantee protection and better minimum pay and conditions for firefighters.

The European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs is also calling for minimum standards for firefighters’ gear and PPE, as well as training, awareness-raising and operating procedures around such things as medical surveillance and decontamination.

“This is literally life and death we’re talking about, and our firefighters deserve better,” said Ms Walsh.

“We need to protect both the firefighters and the public, and it is far from ideal to see plans for strike action to resume next week. There has been an overwhelming rejection of the proposals by firefighters, and we must reach agreement to ensure no lives are put at risk,” added the Fine Gael MEP.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has said it is ‘disappointed’ to see strike action resume and described the pay increase recommended by the Labour Court as ‘generous’.

The Mayo News has contacted a local National Retained Firefighters Association of Ireland (NRFA) representative for a comment.