Garda sergeants and inspectors have deferred a planned protest over new rosters being introduced across the force after being invited to take part in a conciliation process by senior Garda management.
While the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) was on Wednesday set to agree the details of a second “day of action”, it has deferred those plans in favour of the conciliation process.
Last week over 200 Garda sergeants and inspectors marched in protest to Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin. The AGSI leadership handed in a letter for Garda Commissioner Drew Harris outlining its concerns about the new rosters, which it says will involve up to 47 extra shifts per year for some Garda members because shifts, currently 12 hours, will be shorter.
AGSI was due to engage in a similar second day of action, also involving some form of public protest, but will now instead participate in the conciliation process. It is intended to help overcome an impasse that has emerged over the mooted new rosters which Mr Harris wants to introduce.
Ireland and US celebrate enduring ties amid changing times
The Irish Times view on Sinn Féin’s PR problem: questions remain
‘Longford was the town of my dreams. In Ukraine, I lived in a big city and it was terrible’
Red into the record – Frank McNally on why Maxim Litvinov’s Irish years were forgotten, and correcting a confusion of Joycean plaques
In reply to queries, AGSI confirmed it had deferred its second day of action.
Garda Headquarters said Mr Harris had “repeatedly stated that he remains open to positive engagement” with the garda associations on the rosters issue.
“At the commissioner’s request, a special meeting of the Garda Conciliation Council will take place next Tuesday to discuss the issue of a new roster,” it said.
Mr Harris wants a new roster that “serves the public and supports the most vulnerable in society, ensures the health and wellbeing of Gardaí, and allows the Commissioner to effectively and efficiently manage the organisation within the budget available”, it added.
[ Garda Commissioner rejects AGSI criticisms over handling of deepening rosters rowOpens in new window ]
At last week’s march, AGSI general secretary Antoinette Cunningham dismissed as “premature” the decision by Mr Harris to ask the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to make itself available to help resolving the dispute. She said the internal conciliation process had not been exhausted, adding this must happen before the dispute went to the WRC.
The new move to use the conciliation process again was expected to involve AGSI, the Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents almost 12,000 rank-and-file gardaí, and senior Garda management.