Siptu retained fire fighters lift strike action after late night talks

Over 2,000 retained firefighters are set to suspend strikes from noon today, Thursday, following late night talks in a dispute over pay and staff shortages.

Latest discussions began at the Workplace Relations Commission on Wednesday and ended in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Siptu will now begin consultations with members on new proposals ahead of a ballot.

It is understood that fresh commitments to boost the firefighters’ guaranteed pay are contained in a new document that is being finalised.

Siptu divisional organiser Karan O'Loughlin told RTE's Morning Ireland that in the early hours of Thursday morning they did manage to agree a document, "the wording of which will be finalised over the next few days, but the heads of proposals are in place". 

She said they would now take this document and do another round of consultation with their Siptu members. 

Mr O'Loughlin confirmed that strike action had been lifted. 

"This is so we can do our consultation and explain to members that the core piece that we have been after, which is security of earnings and guaranteed pay, has finally been acknowledged and dealt with, through this process last night," she said.

Existing fire fighters will have a guaranteed floor of €21,500 per year, Ms O'Loughlin said, with station officers on between €27,500 and just under €32,000. There are other pieces in the agreement around sick pay, recruitment, filling of promotion positions and the hiring of 400 additional fire fighters, she added. 

"All in all, it's a very positive step in the first phase of our campaign but there is another piece to be done and we now need to build on this floor through the public service pay talks," Ms O'Loughlin said.