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2009

Garda Associations seek fairness from Government and trade union talks

Date Released: 25 Nov 2009

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) welcomes the renewed talks between the Government and trade union leaders to address the current economic crisis in a fair and equitable way. We hope that further industrial action can be avoided and a strategy agreed that balances the need for fiscal adjustment with the protection of essential frontline public services and those who provide them.

Gardaí are denied the right to attend these talks – or any forum – to discuss their pay and employment conditions and we are also denied the right to industrial action. Our members have been treated disgracefully during the present crisis. The Government has unilaterally reduced the pay of gardaí and used legislation to deny them any recourse to a fair hearing. We are to rely on negotiations by other workers to achieve equity; this must change.

The GRA is cautiously optimistic that the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) will deliver on its commitment to the 24/7 Frontline Services Alliance made by President Jack O'Connor and General Secretary David Begg in Tralee on Wednesday, 7th October. The GRA welcomes the prospect of a satisfactory outcome from these negotiations and will carefully review their outcome before deciding on our next course.

GRA General Secretary PJ Stone said today, “Our members have paid their share, and have seen their pay levels decrease to unsustainable levels. Police forces around Europe, and the wider world, include allowances as a large proportion of their pay. It is an effective means of differentiating workers within a rank and rewards specialist expertise or compensates for the harrowing nature of some aspects of garda work.

“Allowances must be regarded as integral to our pay and the burden will be shared. I think the contribution we make to society, highlighted by the dedication, bravery and commitment of gardaí during the recent flooding of widespread parts of the country, is obvious to all.”

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) calls on the Government to ensure that the burden of repairing the economy is shared equally across the country and that no one section is picked out unfairly.

“We are emphatic that our members have already been hit hard enough and cannot take any more cuts,” said General Secretary Joe Dirwan, “and we also deplore the fact that we are not permitted to negotiate our pay and conditions directly as social partners so that we can point this out to those also seated at the table.”  Gardaí are not permitted to engage in industrial action to defend their pay and conditions, he pointed out.

AGSI has noted the resumed talks between the Government and ICTU and urges both sides to ensure that, if agreement is possible, no one section is treated unjustly.  “We have a commitment from the President of ICTU Jack O’Connor and General Secretary David Begg that core pay, in so far as the gardaí and other frontline workers are concerned, includes the allowances which repay us for the 24/7/365 services we provide.  One is inseparable from the other and this must be taken into account in any final agreement. We expect that they will live up to that commitment.”

“We await hearing directly from the Government in relation to the garda-specific terms of any potential agreement so that we can give our views directly on those terms,” continued Mr Dirwan. “In so far as we can the National Executive of AGSI will be monitoring the progress of the talks and considering any appropriate actions as we go forward,” he concluded.





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