The prospect of a strike by Dublin firefighters increased significantly last night after the SIPTU Section Committee, representing 800 members, unanimously rejected a 7 per cent pay award from the Labour Court. The chairman of the committee, Mr Brian Murray, said afterwards that the award breached the traditional parity with the gardai.
A mass meeting of SIPTU firefighters throughout the State is due to take place at Liberty Hall in Dublin on Thursday evening to discuss the situation. This is likely to be followed by a strike ballot and industrial action could begin as early as Monday, March 8th.