SIPTU say 9 out of 10 new recruits left the fire service this year because they couldn't make a living in the job.
It comes as on-call fire fighters in Cork will join a nationwide campaign of industrial action today.
SIPTU members will perform an all out strike on the 20th of June if the recruitment and renetion crisis in the fire brigade isn't resolved.
From today, fire fighters won't be attending training drills or servicing the equipment and if a resolution isn't found.. half the country's fire crews will stop working next Tuesday with an all out strike planned for the following week.
SIPTU say many staff can't take their leave due to staff shortages and have seen their incomes reduce because they've been called out less with some members earning €8000 a year and taking other full time jobs.
Speaking to RedFM News, Karan O'Loughlin from SIPTU says members working for the service has become too difficult:
They're under terrible financial pressure, and they're under terrible emotional pressure. And as I say the job is quite traumatic. So really, the Government needs to ensure that these people feel valued. And the way to do that is to ensure that the service can be maintained in one county alone. 9 out of the last 10 new recruits just left because they couldn't manage to make a living on the job."
