SIPTU says Emergency Call Operators are ready to strike

Emergency call operators are set to strike

SIPTU say the 24 staff working in the Munster Regional Communications Centre who handle around 26,000 calls a year haven’t had a job evaluation in 23 years.

Staff unanimously voted ‘in favour of industrial action up to an including strike action’ in a row with Limerick City and County Councils.

SIPTU claims there have been changes to emergency call operators work practices over the last 23 years and an evaluation is needed.

Speaking to RedFM News, Karen O’Loughlin from SIPTU says in the event of strike action safeguards to the public will be put in place:

“Well it’s very stressful time for them because this is a really important community service. And they obviously don’t want to put life and limit risk and they won’t because it will provide a minimum level of emergency cover, but not the full range of cover. And that’s very disappointing, they’re very stressed about this because they don’t want to do it. But they feel that they’ve been pushed into a very awkward position by the Limerick city council, the city and county council because they just won’t engage to undertake the job evaluation.”