SOME RETAINED FIREFIGHTERS have begun a campaign of industrial action today.

Siptu members employed as Retained Fire Services firefighters are taking part in the action due to what the trade union says is a result of “the failure of management to adequately address a worsening recruitment and retention crisis in the service”.

During the campaign of industrial action, members are due to restrict their work to only responding to emergency calls.

“This will involve non-cooperation with training, drills and radio calls through the emergency centres being replaced by the use of mobile calls to fire service management,” Siptu sector organiser Brendan O’Brien said. 

A series of rolling work stoppages are scheduled to commence on 13 June with the action set to escalate to an all-out strike on 20 June “if the dispute has not been resolved”, O’Brien warned in a statement earlier this month. 

“Almost 2,000 Retained Fire Service members are organised in Siptu across 200 fire stations nationally. They are required to provide 24/7 emergency response and restrict their movement, at all times while on call, to within typically five minutes travel time of their fire station,” he said. 

“Many firefighters are unable to take their leave entitlements due to staff shortages and they have also seen their incomes drastically reduced due to reductions in call outs over the last number of years and other restrictions imposed by the fire service.”

Minister for Housing and Local Government Darragh O’Brien last week that the Governemnt was “continuing to engage with union representatives” in relation to the planned industrial action. 

“I believe we can come to a resolution that will mean we can retain people in the fire service, but attract more, because there has been a big issue in attracting newer staff to this and we heavily depend on the retained fire services and, indeed, the full-time fire services,” O’Brien said. 

“We’ve made real progress on the rostering, we’re progressing on time off, we’ll probably progress on allowances also. I want this resolved.”

With reporting by Emer Moreau