Gardaí move closer to securing trade union rights

Garda members have moved closer to securing the right to join a trade union for the first time and having the right to strike and take other forms of industrial action.

Under the terms of a new agreement on pay and conditions, the Government has “affirmed” the Garda Representative Association’s (GRA) right to have direct access to future pay talks, which it has never before enjoyed.

“It is further acknowledged that it is the policy of the [GRA] to pursue trade union status and associated rights and that they may seek to do so through the Haddington Road Review,” the draft agreement between the GRA and Department of Justice states.

News of the development came just 24 hours after the GRA said its members had overwhelmingly voted in favour of the principal of some form of industrial action over pay and conditions.

Some 66 per cent of those entitled to vote in the ballot did so with 95.3 per cent returning a ballot in favour of potential action.

The ballot asked GRA members: “Are you so dissatisfied with your current pay and conditions that you are willing to take part in a day or days of industrial action?”

Draft agreement

It means those who voted in favour were registering their support in principal for some form of industrial action rather than voting to take industrial action.

The ballot was organised long before the draft agreement between the GRA and department was arrived at late last week.

While that agreement stops well short of assuring the GRA full and immediate trade union status, it very much puts trade union membership for Garda members in play.

A special delegate conference of the GRA takes place today in Tullamore, Co Offaly. Members will decide a position on the draft agreement, though the matter could be put to a full ballot of its 10,500 members across the force.

Support for the deal would effectively see the GRA sign up to the Lansdowne Road Agreement and see increments and pay increases due under it, which have been stalled for months, activated for members.

There is also an agreement to reinstate a rent allowance of €4,150 per year for new members of the force. Half of the €4,150 per annum would be payable from January 1st and the other half on January 1st, 2018. The projected cost in 2017 is €2.4 million, according to sources. About 680 new Garda members to be attested before the end of this year will benefit as would the 700 further members due to be attested through next year.

Garda members are banned from joining a union or going on strike. While gardaí would be breaking the law going on strike, they could engage in various actions – such as refusing to work overtime or use their personal phones and computers for work purposes – and cause disruption to the policing service.

In 1998 members of the force rang in sick in a form of industrial action that became known as ‘blue flu’.

However, that was regarded as very damaging to the force’s reputation and a repeat is highly unlikely.