MORE than 2,000 gardai are expected to attend a mass meeting about pay at the National Stadium in Dublin this afternoon.
Gardai believe they are badly paid compared to other public servants, and the meeting is intended to highlight their grievances.
It starts at 3 p.m. and is the fourth held jointly by the GRA, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) and the Association of Garda Superintendents to push for a commission on pay and conditions for all ranks in the force.
Previous meetings in Cork, Portlaoise and Sligo attracted large numbers, reflecting anger in the force about pay. The associations say that while Garda pay has fallen behind that of other public servants, their workload has increased, and the rising number of syringe attacks and similar crimes has made it more dangerous.
The basic salary for a garda is £12,040 rising to £19,159 after 12 years' service. Sergeants earn from £19,682 on appointment to £22,064 after 15 years at that rank. The salary range for inspectors is £22,468 to £24,618, while superintendents earn £29,274 to £32,936. Pay is increased by a range of allowances.
The Garda Federation, the Dublin-based organisation for members of garda rank, is not formally involved in today's meeting although many of its members will attend. While the long-running dispute between the federation and the GRA is not on the agenda, a number of speakers are expected to raise it.
Yesterday teams of negotiators from the federation, the GRA and four non-aligned Garda divisions met to discuss plans to create a new representative association for officers of garda rank.
The ICTU general secretary, Mr Peter Cassells, who is facilitating the talks, told them he wanted agreement in writing from all parties by next Tuesday to a general ballot of gardai on the plan.
There are fears that the momentum behind the talks which led to the announcement of agreement among the rival parties last month could be lost unless the organisations agree to a ballot.
The Department of Justice intends introducing legislation to create a single organisation but officials would prefer the three groups to reach agreement.