Strike action by retained firefighters across the north west has been suspended for 24 hours.
The move is to facilitate talks today at the Labour Court.
The Labour Court has intervened in the fire service dispute ahead of the closure of all stations tomorrow and has invited both sides to exploratory discussions.
The SIPTU negotiating committee says it will do its utmost today but it is imperative the employers attend this meeting with a willingness to engage in a manner they have not done to date.
It says they must be willing to acknowledge there needs to be resources put into the Retained Fire Service to start its rebuilding and there must also be proper remuneration of firefighters, to reflect the responsibilities of their job.
The union has agreed to suspend all industrial action for 24 hours since just after midnight to facilitate the talks at the Labour Court.
