Labour Court recommends 50% retainer payment for Inishmore volunteer firefighters

The Labour Court recommended that Galway County Council's eight volunteer firefighters on Inishmore receive an ex-gratia payment equal to 50% of the annual retainer allowance, rising in line with future increases to the retainer. The recommendation was signed on 29 June 2001. The Court did not recommend giving the volunteers the full terms and conditions of retained firefighters. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union sought those terms, while the council argued that the island service had different obligations and fewer call-outs than mainland services.