Skip to content
2009

Frontline Alliance supports campaign by Garda representative bodies for full trade union status

Date Released: 08 Dec 2009

The 24/7 Frontline Services Alliance fully supports the Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors in their demand for full trade union status. It took its decision at a meeting earlier today. The Alliance will be closely monitoring developments.

The Chairman of the Alliance, Des Kavanagh, General Secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association said, “Other unions affiliated to the Frontline Alliance fully understand the anger and frustration of our colleagues in the two Garda representative bodies at not being allowed to engage fully and directly in negotiations that affect their members every bit as much as other workers.

“In the absence of any centralised agreement, as a result of the Government decision to collapse the social partnership process, members of other trade unions at least have the right to take industrial action if they wish to do so in defence of their pay and conditions. Private sector workers organised in trade unions can do likewise, in the absence of any national agreement, but members of the Garda Siochana are specifically excluded from doing so.

“In major European states such as Germany and Denmark police representative bodies are given full union recognition, which has not been found to be incompatible with performing their essential duties of protecting the public. Indeed it has helped police forces elsewhere integrate more fully in civic society. It is not in anyone’s interests that the present situation should continue. It is a hangover to the days when the role of a national police force was that of a coercive agency for repressive and undemocratic regimes.”





Previous and Next: 2010 | 2008