Gardaí vote to withdraw services over four Fridays in November

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has announced plans for a withdrawal of services by rank-and-file gardaí on four Fridays in November.

In a statement on Wednesday, it said: “The Garda Representative Association conference has voted to take industrial action up to and including a unilateral withdrawal of services on November 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th.”

The statement was issued at the GRA special delegate conference in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

GRA general secretary Pat Ennis said its members were "exhausted" from negotiations which had proved fruitless.

Asked on RTÉ Six One whether the action was legal, given the long-standing prohibition against strike action by An Garda Síochána, Mr Ennis replied "it was not a choice that was made easily".

He said the counter-position to the argument about illegality was that the organs of the state had a responsibility to protect entitlements of gardaí and it had failed.

He stressed the action would not be a “blue flu” style protest, in a reference to the 1998 pay protest when 5,000 members of the force called in sick to work in a single day. Rather it would be a withdrawal of labour, he said.

About 200 GRA members from 31 Garda divisions attended the special delegate conference.

They have rejected a proposed deal on pay and conditions which had been discussed with the Department of Justice last Friday.

Meanwhile, Garda sergeants and inspectors have also said that they are considering a campaign of industrial action.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors is to hold a special delegate conference on October 17th to where proposal for industrial action will be considered.

The president of the Association Antoinette Cunningham said it was considering a campaign of industrial action after “significant new information” emerged relating to the planned new Public Service Commission on Pay and matters relating to the Lansdowne Road agreement.

“The National Executive met today and discussed at length the emerging issues and we now feel have no option but to call a special delegate conference on the October 17th in Athlone, where these matters will be discussed and proposals relating to industrial action will be considered.”

In its statement, the GRA said: “Members of the Garda Representative Association are denied the civil rights afforded other workers and citizens. We are denied the civil right to withdraw our labour.

“There is an implied contract that the civil power will not abuse its police force. We have exhausted every channel of industrial relations open to us. Government has taken advantage of our limited rights. Our members feel that we have nowhere left to turn.

“Gardaí do a dangerous, difficult and often thankless job. Garda pay has fallen behind others. Our claim for pay restoration has been ignored. Gardaí have legitimate grievances - and it is with vocational reluctance that 95 per cent of the GRA membership feel they have no option but to take industrial action.”

The action will take place on the four dates “unless we hear of substantial and significant progress towards real and tangible increases in our pay”, it said.

A total of 66 percent of the 10,500 rank and file members took part in the ballot and indicted their willingness for action by 95.3 percent of the vote.

The draft pay deal included a number of commitments in exchange for the restoration of more than €4,000 in rent allowance.

The document committed to restoring the controversial pay cut, but sets out a quid pro quo. They include a commitment to the terms of the Lansdowne Road pay agreement and continued co-operation with various ongoing initiatives, such as the introduction of victim support offices and the Armed Response Unit in Dublin.