Gardaí call off strike action planned for Friday

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) and Garda Representative Association (GRA) have suspended the strike action planned for Friday.

AGSI president Antoinette Cunningham said: "As a result of proposal received which will be put to a ballot of our membership, [the] AGSI will be calling off its day of industrial action pending the result of the ballot. AGSI are delighted a fundamental right in gaining access to the industrial relations mechanisms, the WRC and the Labour Court for our membership. AGSI are delighted to announce we have gained an uplift in income for all of our members."

The GRA decision was late Friday night, after they met to discuss the Labour Court recommendations, which said that gardaí should receive a new €15 payment for every day of annual leave, as well as more money in rent allowance.

Pat Ennis of GRA said as of Thursday night the association had decided to request their members to report for duty on Friday and not to engage in industrial action while they consider the LRC proposal.

“We are going to reconvene next Monday to examine our position.

“It is an improvement on previous proposals received from the government and we need to give full consideration to it and consider the strengths and weaknesses of it. There is a lot of minutiae in it that needs to be analysed.”

“We have committed to the Labour Court to conduct a ballot and we will do that in a timely manner, probably over the next week or so and distribute it to the membership.”

“As of tomorrow we are requesting our members to show up for work.”

Rent allowance

The Labour Court has also proposed that plans to integrate rent allowance into core pay for all gardaí – which will have a knock-on impact on premium payments and overtime – should be brought forward to the beginning of January 2017.

It says that rent allowance should be restored for recently-recruited gardaí immediately on the acceptance of the new proposals.

It also recommended that the new €1,459 payment for gardaí to attend briefings prior to starting their shifts should also be introduced in January, earlier than previously anticipated.

Under Government proposals rejected by the Garda Representative Association (GRA) earlier this week, rent allowance was to be phased in in two parts, half in January 2017 and the other half in January 2018.

The proposed briefing payment had been envisaged originally to commence by April.

The Labour Court has effectively suggested amendments to the original proposals rejected by the GRA earlier this week as well as some new measures.

The court says that a new premium payment should be introduced to gardaí to reflect uncertainty over the taking of annual leave.

This would provide for an additional €15 for each day of leave they receive.

“The court understands that the operation of the system of administration of justice has the effect of diminishing the certainty of approved annual leave for gardaí in consequence of their necessary attendance at court hearings even at short notice when on approved leave.”

“The court recommends that this uncertainty should be acknowledged by payment to gardaí of a €15 premium payment per annual leave day eg a Garda with a leave allowance of 30 days should receive a premium payment per annual leave payment of 30 x €15 per annum. The parties to agree the manner of implementation of this provision. This provision should take effect from the commencement of the next leave year.”

The Labour Court says it accepts that the value of rent allowance has diminished as a result of the evolving rental market. “The court, on the basis of submissions made,recommends that rent allowance should be increased by €500 with effect from 1 January 2017.”

The Labour Court did not make any recommendation in relation to “pay restoration” for gardaí as this was being addressed in a separate process due to be completed in December.