LIMERICK middle-ranking gardai who joined their national Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) colleagues in a march on the opening day of the Dail say that they are prepared “ramp up actions” over Government’s failure to engage in pay restoration talks.
Speaking after more than a dozen middle ranking sergeants and inspectors joined upwards of 600 gardai this Tuesday, Sgt Camin Treacy said that “further picketing of the Dail offices is likely but we will see what happens after this.
“What is important here is that this is being done for the next generation of inspectors and sergeants, the lads who are starting their careers on €23,000. Fair pay needs to be restored and if it is not then we wont have a ‘next generation’ of gardai to take up those positions because they will have left the force”.
Sgt Treacy gave his comments to the Limerick Post following the march to the Dail by more than 600 garda sergeants and inspectors.
Gardai then handed a letter in to the Dail outlining their concerns and encouraging Government to restore garda pay, 25 per cent of which has been lost since 2008, they say.
“This is of course a national issue and not just something for local, it’s throughout the force and all after we fully complied with the requirements of the Haddington Road agreement.”
Sgt Treacy referenced that gardai are aggrieved after the emergency legislation which was passed last December effectively “put a stop to any increments due and froze everything until July 2018.”
“It’s the stealth way that the Government did things and effectively stonewalled us in our negotiations, that has most members and indeed wider groups aggrieved.
“We are not looking for increases, just restoration of pay”, Sgt Treacy said.
As it is illegal for gardai to protest in uniform or strike, AGSI members from Limerick joined the hundreds of other AGSI law enforcement officers by dressing in plain clothes but in the colour of blue.
The AGSI are planning three weeks of protests which will escalate to a form of work-to-rule, but not a strike, if there is no engagement by Government.
That decision will be taken at a special delegate conference at the end of June.
“We will go back to our members and decide what next to do”, Sgt Treacy said.
