Councillor calls for support for retained firefighters in Tipperary
Industrial dispute
A Tipperay Town public representative has called on the public to support the retained firefighters in Tipperary who are taking industrial action for better working conditions as part of a national campaign.
After visiting the fire station in Tipperary town Cllr Annemarie Ryan said the retained firefighters put their lives at risk for the public and they deserved a fair wage and better working conditions.
"I called to see the Tipperary Town retained firefighters and they spoke about their working conditions:
On call 24/7 for 2 weeks and then one week off.You must remain within 2.5km of your station when on call.
You must get to the station within 5 mins of an emergency call.Pay can work out at an average of 99cent per hour or an average of €8.5k per anumn.It's virtually impossible to find another job to supplement their income.
Being a firefighter is a vocation and they are very worried about being able to retain staff and provide a proper service in the future," said Cllr Ryan.