North Tipperary County Council has been told by the Labour Court to withdraw a threat of disciplinary action against firefighters who refused to attend a training course.
The six firefighters declined to attend a "hot fire training course" last March because of concerns about safety and insurance, the court was told.
Their union, SIPTU, said the six had expressed significant concern about the one-day course on the evening before it was due to take place. After they failed to attend the following day, the council issued a letter to each, advising that, if they failed to co-operate in the future with any formal training, disciplinary action would be taken.
Management refused requests by the union that it withdraw the letter. In its argument to the court, the union said the six were dedicated and long-serving firefighters with unblemished service.
They were very unhappy that the letters had been issued and would be retained on file, and as a gesture of goodwill the union was seeking removal of the letters.
The council, however, argued that formal disciplinary action would have been justified in the case, but leniency had been shown. The letters issued did not constitute disciplinary action in themselves.
The council said the six had given no notice of their intention not to attend the training course.
It had indicated its willingness to put a limit on the period of time the letters would remain active, but this was contingent on an acknowledgment in writing from the union that such occurrences would not happen in the future.
In its recommendation, the court said SIPTU had conveyed an adequate level of assurance with regard to the firefighters' future participation in training courses.
On that basis the court was recommending that the letters issued by the council be set aside and removed from the personnel files of the six.
