Gardaí in GRA vote in favour of work-to-rule action during remaining EU presidency events

Garda Representative Association

The GRA will hold a special meeting of its Central Executive Committee later this week to ‘decide on an appropriate and definitive course of action’ following the vote.

GARDA MEMBERS IN the Garda Representative Association (GRA) have voted in favour of work-to-rule industrial action during events around Ireland’s presidency of the EU Council.

The GRA said it will hold a special meeting of its Central Executive Committee later this week to “decide on an appropriate and definitive course of action” following the vote.

It added that the “overwhelming and resounding message” is that gardaí are “so dissatisfied with the continued erosion of their working terms and conditions that they would be willing to switch to a work-to-rule position for the remaining events of the EU Presidency”.

In its members’ survey for this month, the GRA asked its more than 11,600 members if they were willing to take part in industrial action, and if so, would this action include a work-to-rule position during forthcoming EU Presidency events.

Work-to-rule industrial action involves an employee working strictly to the terms of their contract, role or function.

The GRA today said that the reason for the survey was to “establish the level of anger of members and their appetite to take action because of this continued and repeated dilution of our conditions of employment”. 

The GRA added that garda management “continues to erode” the rights of its members “with their continued and intentional breaches of the Working Time Agreement”.

Key elements of this agreement include that there be 11 hours of minimum rest between rostered shifts, including travel time.

In relation to the first question, on whether GRA members are “so dissatisfied” that they are willing to take part in industrial action, over 94% responded “yes” (with a turnout of 47%).

In relation to the second question, on whether this action would include a work-to-rule position in relation to forthcoming EU presidency events, close to 94% responded “yes” (with a turnout of 45%).

The GRA said that the results of the survey “simply reflects what we have been hearing from our delegates and members right across the country”.

“From the commencement of policing of this EU Presidency, the Commissioner (Justin Kelly) and Garda Management have been breaching the Working Time Agreement and the European Working Time Directive,” added the GRA.

“This survey clearly reveals that our members have had enough and voiced their willingness to resist these breaches and show the Commissioner and Senior Garda Management that they have had enough.”

The GRA added that some of its members are “consistently working 20, 25, even 30 hours over their scheduled weekly hours”.

While the GRA said its members “do not want to be found wanting when they get the call, they cannot be simply taken for granted and expected to be on call and available even when Garda management fail to abide by agreed reasonable working conditions”.

The GRA said that the policing involved with Ireland’s hosting of the EU Presidency has classed as “Extraordinary”, which means that many garda members have had their annual leave and rest days “summarily cancelled and overtime has been forced upon them”.

The GRA added that garda members have “also had to turn up at locations outside of their home stations without clear and proper direction or suitable travel or accommodation arrangements in place”.

Meanwhile, the GRA claimed that it has been met by garda management “with a refusal to listen and abide by our agreed working terms and conditions”.