THE MAJORITY of the 500 balloted Limerick gardai are not happy with their pay and conditions and will take part in four days of action next month.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents 10,500 members nationally and more than 500 in Limerick, rejected the Lansdowne Road Agreement and have been subject to a pay increment freeze which affects those with less than 17 years’ service in the force, or 62 per cent of rank-and-file gardaí.
The association confirmed that their members will withdraw service on four dates in November.
Gardai will not report for duty on each of the Fridays in November (4, 11, 18 and 25th) following the rejection of pay proposals from the Department of Justice.
Following the return of ballot slips from two thirds of Gardaí who participated, 95 per cent have said they are in favour of striking in a dispute over pay.
GRA members remain frustrated at increased working hours and the withdrawal of certain allowances during the economic crisis adding that morale in the force is at all time low.
Garda Thornton, who is the GRA’s Central Executive Committee Representative for the Limerick Division said it was the Association policy to reverse the pay cuts implemented through the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Act and to protect the allowances and pensions of members, all of whom have suffered financial hardship since 2008, when these cuts were first implemented.
“We can no longer work for free, no longer absorb the cuts imposed and no longer operate under a dictatorship of vast additional productivity, without recognition.
This Wednesday, Garda Thornton told the Limerick Post that the final proposal offered by “Department Officials was to be discussed and will be further discussed at this week at a Special Delegate Conference.
It has been proposed that a €4,000 rent allowance be put in place for new recruits although the implementation of the deal is understood to be staggered over 12 months.
“The proposal itself is divisive and while it does address the issue of restoration of rent allowance for probationer Gardai, it does nothing for 90 per cent of the membership who have borne the burnt of austerity measures since 2008.
Garda Thornton said that “the proposal further insults the frontline members of the Limerick Division who are fully behind Industrial action.
“As an Association we have given this Government every opportunity to engage with us in a meaningful manner but alas, they just continue to ignore one of the country’s emergency services.
As he Dail returned this week, hundreds of Gardai and frontline public sector staff protested outside the front of Government buildings.
National GRA President Ciaran O’Neill commented that “the reluctance of the government to reward our patience has driven us towards this move.
“It is not surprising to hear that our members are willing to take some form of industrial action to see their pay and conditions restored.”
However the GRA delegates met this Wednesday to discuss the deal and it emerged late in the evening that proposals were to be rejected and the dates for withdrawal of service were selected.
“Members are no longer willing to work prime time hours for free, the service provided by members of the Limerick Division never faltered. We keep turning up, and kept delivering, but we have had enough.
