Firefighters to strike

Leitrim Fire Service is facing industrial action from tonight (Wednesday, July 26), warned Finian Joyce, Chief Fire Officer at a meeting of the Ballinamore Municipal District this week before revealing, “We've lost ten firefighters in the last five years out of 48 in Leitrim.”
Leitrim retained firefighters are to strike this week after an “overwhelming majority” rejected proposed Labour Court recommendations which included that staff at retained stations be increased to 12, allowing a crew of six to be rostered on while an alternate crew of six is rostered off.
This would reduce the liability of each firefighter to respond to alerts from 75% of all alerts to 45% of alerts.
It's understood that many firefighters are currently unable to take their leave entitlements due to staff shortages and that members have seen their incomes drastically reduced due to reductions in call-outs over the last number of years.
Mr Joyce was talking after a motion put forward by Cllr Brendan Barry that called on the district to “fully support retained firefighters in their campaign for fair pay and working conditions.”
The motion continued: “There is a recruitment and retention crisis in the Retained Fire Service and it is putting the safety of firefighters and the public at risk.”
Mr Joyce said that one of the main issues that was leading to firefighters leaving the service was down to their inability to secure a mortgage.
“Many of them are young guys and when they go to the bank looking for a mortgage, the only assessment the banks take into account is their retainer.
He said firefighters start out on a retainer of around €9,000 however this can increase to around €12,000. He stressed that the retainer is “about 50 percent of their earnings.”

He continued that the average retained firefighter earns between €15,000 and €20,000 while some of the busier stations see staff earning up €30,000.
The Labour Court also recommended that the retainer be increased by between 24.1% and 32.7% which would see an increase of the figure from €8,870 to €11,769. However Mr Joyce said the focus should be on “their structured pay.”
Mr Joyce said that Ballinamore Station goes to around 40 incidents a year, “that should be put in as part of their structured pay plus their training every two weeks.”
He added, “We can nearly predict what they would earn every year” and that “should be taken as their pay rather than just focusing on the retainer.”
Mr Joyce said he has found it very difficult to recruit firefighters in Leitrim.
“We had three rounds to try and recruit three firefighters in Manorhamilton and now we are being asked to find more. We recently took on two new guys in Ballinamore but to find these guys living and working locally in small towns, it's very difficult,” he said.
Addressing the meeting, Cllr Barry spoke of witnessing a recent fire where he witnessed flames of “four and five foot blowing towards a house” and that the fire was "brought under control quickly by local firefighters.”
Cathaoirleach, Cllr Paddy O'Rourke said that even for those who manage to secure a mortgage, “their wages are still too low to attract new members.”
Mr Joyce reminded members that they “are part-time guys” and many of them have other jobs and “are earning other income on top of this.”
Mr Joyce said that many members also feel as though “they are tied to their pager 24/7” and that the offer by the Labour Court would mean that every station would recruit “three new fire officers.
“In Leitrim, we have four stations with nine firefighters and it would mean we'd increase that to twelve so that would mean they'd have the option to have a week on and a week off – six on this week and six on the next,” he said.
Mr Joyce said that the move would cost Leitrim County Council more than €600,000 annually.
“We have to train those guys and it'll cost us about €10,000 a head so 15 by ten is €150,000. However, they have rejected this because they are focused totally on increasing their retainer,” he said.
He continued, “If the costs go up further, you are talking about having full-time fire stations. Is that a sustainable solution for small rural areas? It's not. Maybe for some of the bigger towns but not for here in Leitrim.”
He said that now that talks with the Labour Court have failed, “a Minister may have to intervene” adding that “it's not going to be resolved without sitting around a table and talking about it.”
He said he will talk to the local strike committees following a meeting with the department which took place on Monday.
He said that SIPTU are “demanding” that, during the strike, “three stations will be immobilised to every incident. That doesn't make sense.”
Mr Joyce said that means if there is “a chimney fire in Ballinaglera” and three stations are dispatched “the rest of the county is at risk.”
He continued that management's position on this is “that doesn't make sense because that's putting others at risk that shouldn't be left at risk” and “it's a waste of resources.”
Mr Joyce said, “We're hearing a lot about the SIPTU position but someone from management, from the department, should be stepping out as well and explaining some of what is happening.”
He concluded, “I understand from talking to my guys on the ground - the issue is the structured pay. They want more of their earnings to be put into a package they are guaranteed every year.”
Cllr Enda McGloin said, “Maybe we should try and get that message to the Minister after our meeting today.”
The members supported this proposal.