Retained firefighters have suspended their strike to consider WRC proposals aimed at resolving a dispute over pay and conditions. 

The State employs retained firefighters to work part-time and they are compensated with a retainment fee each year.

The Labour Court recommended their fee be increased by between 24% and 32.7% but trade union members voted the deal down.

SIPTU's Karan O'Loughlin said the new offer is not the same as the Labour Court deal that was rejected last month.

“It’s very different,” she said.

“What we have been saying since day one - or since the Labour Court recommendation has been rejected - is that the employers missed a trick here.

“In terms of, [they should have offered] the guaranteed floor of income because this has been one of our key asks and it hadn’t been achieved in the Labour Court recommendation.

“So, that is a significant difference.”

Firefighters on strike outside Ardee Fire Station in Louth, 13-06-2023. Image: PA Images / Alamy

Ms O’Loughlin said retained firefighters’ pay is “precarious” and that needs to change.

“We got a breakthrough on that,” she said.

“The other side has accepted it and we got some movement around knitting some value into that as well, to get it to a level that positions us now to put this to the membership.”

Retained firefighters began their strike in June.

Main image: SIPTU Retained Firefighters in 2015.