Roscommon County Council is confirming that it took High Court action against Siptu to prevent fire staff from going on strike.
In a hard-hitting statement this morning, the local authority strongly criticises the trade union and a ‘very small number of individual fire-fighters’.
More than forty members of Roscommon Fire Service were due to begin the first of several days of strikes, but it has been called off.
The dispute is over proposed changes that could have seen crew levels reduced.
On Tuesday, Siptu said that its strike committee had decided to suspend its industrial action while it considered a revised brigade order issued by Roscommon County Council.
However, in a statement released this morning, the council confirms that it took High Court proceedings to seek to restrain Siptu in its planned strike.
It’s understood the council sought the injunction in the court on Tuesday morning.
The council adds that it takes the threat of a strike extremely seriously, where it threatens to undermine and impede it in fulfilling its statutory obligations.
The council claims it can’t allow isolated incidents in any fire station or any fire fighter to tarnish the reputation of its reputation with excellent fire-fighters.
The council calls for ‘fresh thinking’ from Siptu.
It says this is especially the case where the council’s right to manage the fire service and implement agreed procedures are being continuously frustrated, questioned and ignored by a very small number of individual fire-fighters.
Siptu has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
The statement in full is as follows:
Roscommon County Council can confirm that the Fire Service’s strike notice has been rescinded by SIPTU and the threatened strike will not be taking place.
It is regrettable that the Council was forced to resort to High Court proceedings to seek to restrain SIPTU in its course of action. The Council takes the threat of strike action extremely seriously, where such action, threatens to undermine and impede the Council in fulfilling its statutory obligations.
The Council cannot allow isolated incidents in any fire station or individual disgruntlement from any fire fighter to tarnish the reputation of our excellent and committed fire fighters or indeed frustrate our well established relationship with SIPTU.
The Council is of course, always ready and happy to engage with SIPTU, and recent events do not change this. However, we really need some fresh thinking from SIPTU in situations where our right to manage the Fire Service and implement agreed procedures are being continuously frustrated, questioned and ignored by a very small number of individual fire fighters.
