Niall O'Connor

RANK AND FILE gardaí are to launch industrial action on five days in October and protest at the gates of garda headquarters because of what it calls intolerable treatment of its members by garda management. 

The escalation comes days after a separate internal discipline threat was made against a senior Garda Representative Association (GRA) body member.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) Central Executive Committee met at a special meeting in Athlone this evening.

The conference was held just days after it was revealed that garda management were assessing a discipline file against a senior member of the GRA for speaking out on a range of topics. 

As reported by The Journal, the garda had been informed that management were unhappy that he was speaking publicly about concerns he and other gardaí had.

The GRA Central Executive Committee member has spoken publicly on a range of topics, including a lack of pursuit driving training and the problem of enforcing scooter legislation.

It is understood the garda has been informed in writing about the discipline procedure recently.

In a statement yesterday garda press office said that the force was assessing whether to punish the garda. 

At the meeting in Athlone it was decided that industrial action and protests would take place in October in regard to a range of problems identified by the GRA. 

Ronan Slevin the GRA’s General Secretary said in a statement issued to members of the organisation tonight that there were a number of issues. 

The letter said that garda management had failed to implement Workplace Relations Commission agreed allowances and separate pay agreements which the GRA said have been broken by garda management, the Department of Justice and the Department of Public Expenditure (DPER). 

The letter also attacked Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and DPER’s failure to “to secure full collective bargaining rights for the GRA at any future pay negotiations.”

In the carefully worded missive Ronan Slevin said on six, 10, 17, 24 and 31 October he will refuse to take up overtime duties.

This is worded in this way as it is an offence for gardaí to organise other gardaí to enter into industrial action.

There will also be a march by the GRA’s Central Executive Committee to Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

The letter said that the claimed maltreatment of GRA members by garda management will “no longer be tolerated”.

“These actions highlight the ongoing frustration felt by the members that we represent and have been mandated to act on their behalf and in their best interests.

“We have spent months and years trying desperately to advance and resolve all of these matters and we have consistently been met with procrastination, delay and avoidance,” the letter said. 

Sources have said that the discipline issue will be assessed by garda management. It is understood that there is frustration at senior ranks and in the Department of Justice at the fall-out from the discipline issue in the same week the force is dealing with a protected disclosure scandal.  

The garda could face sanctions that can include dismissal if it were to go the distance.  

The Journal has also obtained a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dating to the 1980s between garda management, the Department of Justice and the representative bodies. 

The document lays out the relationship between the representative associations. It also states that the disciplining of a Central Executive Committee member, of any of the representative bodies, can only be done with the consent of the serving Minister for Justice.

The Department of Justice confirmed that it and Minister Jim O’Callaghan were not contacted about the discipline matter.