“Nothing will be off the table” if a number of issues facing the Garda Representative Association (GRA) are not resolved, the group has said.
The GRA has signalled it may withdraw its members from participating in “all aspects” relating to Ireland’s hosting of the EU presidency, along with upcoming events, if the issues persist.
It also said no voluntary overtime will be undertaken on March 16th, 17th (St Patrick’s Day) and 18th.
These actions are as a result of “the bad faith in Government departments in negotiating with the GRA”, it said.
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The GRA held a special delegates’ conference on Wednesday. It called on Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Minister for Public Expenditure and Public Service Reform Jack Chambers to honour previous pay agreements.
It also called on them to ensure the delivery of all overdue entitlements and to make significant progress before the opening of the GRA’s annual delegate conference on April 21st, on the issues of subsistence and travel, local bargaining and Consumer Price Index increases.
It said if these issues are not resolved by the April conference, it will consider “all possible further actions” for members’ participation “in all aspects relating to the EU presidency and upcoming events”. Ireland’s six-month EU presidency term begins in July.
GRA president Mark O’Meara said: “It is unfortunate that we as gardaí have to resort to fighting for basic rights and entitlements that have long been promised and been previously agreed.
“The ball is now firmly in the court of Ministers O’Callaghan and Chambers to fix these issues in order to avert any further action.”
In a separate motion passed, the GRA said any proposal on a new subsistence and travel scheme would be submitted to the full membership of the association for approval by way of a national ballot.
It said the ballot documentation would include full details of the negotiated agreement, including a clear breakdown comparing the rates under the current scheme with those proposed.
Another motion passed at Wednesday’s conference directs the GRA’s central executive council and officer board to take “any and all actions they deem necessary, that they feel accurately reflects the lack of progress made on the substantial issues before the special delegates’ conference. Those actions will be reviewed at our annual delegate conference and escalated if required.”
GRA general secretary Ronan Slevin said the decisions were made because of the Department of Public Expenditure and Public Service Reform and the Department of Justice “failing to honour previous pay agreements. Our members’ frustrations are blatantly obvious and any planned actions over the coming months will be a clear demonstration of that.
“The relevant Government departments must honour our agreements and resolve these issues as a matter of urgency for the benefit of all concerned.”
