SIPTU firefighters have offered to meet Dublin Corporation management to discuss emergency cover if their threatened strike goes ahead on October 31st.
Strike notice was served yesterday as the National Safety Council issued its annual Hallowe'en warning about fireworks and bonfires.
There have been no direct talks between SIPTU and the corporation on the substantive issue keeping them apart, which is SIPTU's desire to discuss pay and productivity issues in separate negotiations from IMPACT. The latter union represents about 10 per cent of the city's 700 firefighters.
IMPACT's national officer, Mr Sean Redmond, said his members would work on Hallowe'en.
The problem goes back to negotiations on the first phase of local bargaining under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. After joint negotiations, the unions balloted separately. SIPTU members narrowly accepted the deal and IMPACT members rejected it.
SIPTU branch secretary Mr Paul Smith says Dublin Corporation cannot dictate whether unions negotiate jointly or separately. The corporation's personnel manager, Mr Frank Kelly, says separate negotiations for the two unions for firefighters would set a precedent across the entire workforce.
The substantive issue is the outstanding second phase of the PCW, under which firefighters are entitled to maintain their parity with the Garda. This requires agreement on the remaining productivity to be conceded in return for an average pay rise of around 3 per cent.
Declan Fahy adds: Fireworks with an estimated retail value of more than £500,000 have been seized by gardai in Omeath, Co Louth.
The fireworks, which gardai believe were destined for markets in Dublin and larger towns in the north-east, were seized in a warehouse during a planned search by gardai from Omeath and Dundalk.