Protest action by rank-and-file gardai deferred following new roster proposal

Rank and file gardai have deferred a planned protest after a “significant” proposal from the force’s management to resolve a long-running dispute over rosters.

Meetings had been taking place this week between Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and representative organisations in an attempt to resolve a stand-off over the roster.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) had said its members would be withdrawing overtime labour if the dispute was not resolved, but has deferred that action, following this proposal, to allow negotiations to continue in good faith.

Garda management met with the GRA, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), and two other representative groups on Friday morning.

Emerging from the meeting, GRA representatives said they were happy with the proposals put forward.

It is understood that the proposal is for four days on, four days off 12-hour shifts for all members in core units, with non-core members put on the old six days on, four days off 10-hour shifts.

Office staff would return to the pre-Covid pandemic working pattern.

The GRA had argued that the roster system of four days on, four days off – introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic – gives a better work-life balance, while Mr Harris wanted a return to the pre-Covid roster that would see gardai working six days on and four days off, with shorter shift times.

The old roster, dubbed the Westmanstown roster, was due to come back into effect on November 6, but rank-and-file gardai represented by the GRA had threatened to withdraw their labour if the stand-off was not resolved.

The GRA membership had voted no confidence in Mr Harris over the issue, which the Commissioner said was “a real kick in the teeth”.

The protest involved gardai declining to work voluntary overtime on the five Tuesdays in October – which includes two days which require a heavy garda presence: Budget day next week and Halloween.

If the stalemate was to continue, GRA members had indicated that they would fully withdraw their labour on November 10.

In a statement, An Garda Siochana said at the meeting on Friday Garda management put forward a set of proposals that all the Garda associations agreed to bring back to their central executives for consideration.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee welcomed the progress made on Friday.

“I have consistently maintained that the only way to resolve differences is through negotiation,” she said.

“I welcome that further GRA action has been called off, and that the GRA has indicated it is willing to enter negotiations.

“I am conscious that the other associations will deliberate further over the weekend, and that must be respected.”

Another meeting is due to be held between representative groups and Garda management on Monday October 9.