Garda ‘strike’ called off after compromise in rosters row

A threatened “strike” by rank and file gardaí next month has been lifted following a compromise between Garda staff associations and senior management in the dispute over rosters.

Rank and file gardaí have dropped their plans to refuse overtime over the next four Tuesdays and will not withdraw their service, a strike in all but name, on November 10th.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents about 11,000 rank and file gardaí in a near 14,000-strong force, on Friday evening contacted its members by email informing them the programme of industrial action had been deferred.

The GRA, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), Association of Garda Superintendents and Association of Chief Superintendents met senior Garda management at Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, on Friday.

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They have effectively agreed that core units of the Garda force will remain on pandemic rosters after November 6th – the previous date for their expiry – but noncore units, and office-based Garda members, will return to pre-pandemic rosters on that date as planned.

In a statement after Friday’s talks, Garda Headquarters said senior management had “put forward a set of proposals that all the Garda associations agreed to bring back to each of their central executives for consideration”. It confirmed the parties would meet again on Monday, adding it would make no further comment until the central executives of the four associations had time to consider the proposals.

However, the GRA central executive met immediately after Friday’s talks and agreed to the compromise. It has told its members it was accepting the compromise, and deferring the industrial action, to allow it re-enter talks on agreeing a new roster for the Garda force.

The rosters dispute centres on a decision by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to end the force’s pandemic rosters on November 6th and revert to pre-pandemic rosters on that date. That move has been vehemently opposed by the GRA.

The pandemic rosters involve longer, 12-hour shifts worked on a four days on, four days off pattern rather than the pre-pandemic shorter shifts worked six days on, four days off. Due to the longer shifts under the pandemic rosters, gardaí are required to work fewer days and get six additional days off every 60 days. Furthermore, more of the hours worked under 12-hour shifts generate unsocial hours allowances.

The compromise now accepted by the GRA involves frontline Garda members, who make up “core” units, remaining on pandemic rosters after November 6th and pending agreement on new rosters for the Garda force. Other, noncore parts of the Garda organisation would revert to pre-pandemic rosters from November 6th.

The GRA was so opposed to moving off the pandemic rosters, it held a vote of no confidence in Mr Harris, which was passed by a majority of 99 per cent. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee accused the GRA of personalising the rosters dispute against Mr Harris and declined to meet the association during the ballot process.

The GRA was refusing to engage in any negotiations to draw up new rosters for the Garda unless the November 6th deadline for pandemic rosters ending was removed. For his part, Mr Harris refused to move on that decision and has been at odds with the GRA for months over the issue. The compromise agreed on Friday is an interim arrangement pending new rosters being introduced for the years ahead.

In a statement, Ms McEntee welcomed the progress made in the talks.

“I have consistently maintained that the only way to resolve differences is through negotiation. I welcome that further GRA action has been called off, and that the GRA has indicated it is willing to enter negotiations. I am conscious that the other associations will deliberate further over the weekend, and that must be respected,” she said.