Members of the Garda Representative Association have been offered pay rises of between 7 per cent and 11 per cent in the latest Government offer. They will also receive amounts of up to £3,000 in back money if it is accepted.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said yesterday he was hopeful the GRA would accept the offer. He anticipated "an early result".
The general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Union, Mr Peter Cassells, welcomed the package. He said its terms were "within the parameters set for public service pay in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work, and in Partnership 2000".
He added "The best way to involve the gardai in any future national pay talks would be for the Government to allow the garda associations to affiliate to the ICTU." It is the first time a congress leader has called on the Government to grant Garda members full trade union rights.
However, it remains unclear if the GRA executive will recommend the package to its members. Devised by the former secretary for the Departments of the Public Service and Education, Mr Declan Brennan, it is a complex package and the GRA executive adjourned last night without reaching a decision. The executive is expected to issue a statement when it reconvenes today.
The overall cost of the pay deal to the Exchequer will be £19 million a year, or a rise of 6.3 per cent on the current Garda payroll. Figures seen by The Irish Times show that salaries for trainee gardai remain unchanged at the starting rate of £12,040. But gardai with two or more years' service are offered significant increases.
The Government proposes introducing the new pay scale from last Wednesday, July 1st, 1998. Under it a garda with two years' service would see his salary increase from £14,074 to £15,059, an increase of 6.9 per cent.
A garda with six years' service would see his salary increase from £17,374 to £19,684, an increase of 7.5 per cent. This would be more than the top of the present scale of £19,159 after 12 years' service.
After staying at £19,684 for six years a garda's salary would rise to £20,500 and a garda with 20 years' service would receive a further long service increment, bringing his salary to £21,266, an increase of 10.99 per cent on his current salary.
All gardai are being offered lump sums based on 4.5 per cent of their salary in the year beginning July 1st, 1996, and a further 4.5 per cent based on their pay from April 1st, 1997.
For a garda at the top of the existing scale this will be worth over £2,800. Long-serving gardai with significant overtime earnings will receive amounts well over £3,000, when these are factored in.
The overall increase of 9 per cent is broken down into 7 per cent due under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work and a 2 per cent "down payment" on future productivity under Partnership 2000. The 7 per cent includes the 5.5 per cent paid to most public service workers under the PCW, plus an additional 1.5 per cent for extra productivity. This takes into account garda attendances in the courts, the administration of on-the-spot fines and PULSE (computer programme) training.
The 2 per cent "down payment" for Partnership 2000 includes co-operation with civilianisation of aspects of garda work, new rostering systems and further developments in the PULSE programme. The deal also provides for third-party arbitration, meaningful input for the GRA in future national pay talks and negotiation on future performance management.