Half of Laois Fire Stations shut this morning as industrial action escalates

Half of the Fire Stations in Laois will remain shut in Laois today as action by retained firefighters escalates nationwide.

Laois had been one of the few counties where 50/50 closures weren’t taking place during the last wave of industrial action. 

However, that has now changed and half of the eight stations in Laois will not open this morning as the action escalates. 

SIPTU members of the retained fire services in Laois will also take part in what’s known as ‘going dark’ action from this morning, where normal communications with management will cease. 

The Leinster Express/Laois Live has seen a draft copy of the proposed station closures in Laois this week.

There are eight fire stations in Laois. Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick, Abbeyleix, Durrow, Rathdowney, Mountrath and Stradbally. The closures will take place at four of these stations daily from 8am for 24 hours. 

From 8am today Rathdowney, Portarlington, Portlaoise and Abbeyleix will remain closed. On Sunday Stradbally, Mountmellick, Durrow and Mountrath will remain closed.

On Monday closures will occur at: Portarlington, Rathdowney, Portlaoise and Abbeyleix. On Tuesday, Stradbally, Mountmellick, Durrow and Mountrath will close.

On Wednesday closure will hit Rathdowney, Portarlington, Portlaoise and Abbeyleix and on Thursday, Stradbally, Mountmellick, Durrow  and Mountrath will close. On Friday closures will hit Portarlington, Portlaoise, Abbeyleix and Rathdowney.  

Alternate station closures will continue all week until next Saturday when a further escalation of action is expected to take place. That action may see another fire station added to the closure, leaving the counties nationwide with less than half the cover they would normally have. 

Retained firefighters nationwide are engaged in industrial action due to pay, conditions and staffing numbers low in many counties including Laois. 

Around 2,000 retained firefighters nationwide began their action in May but it was halted when the Labour Court intervened. The Labour Court put forward recommendations on pay for the staff but they were unanimously rejected in a vote by SIPTU members of the service who have now returned to the picket lines.

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Firefighters say they will continue to respond in cases of life threatening calls but their action is likely to have knock on affects for emergency services in terms of clearing up non life threatening crash scenes and creating safe cordons around such scenes with fire engines.