30/6/2016. Garda Pay Protests Leah Farrell Members of the executive committee of the GRA protesting outside Leinster House on 30 June Leah Farrell

GARDA UNION THE Garda Representative Association (GRA) is balloting its members as to their preference or not for industrial action in their current pay dispute with the Department of Justice.

Having rejected the Lansdowne Road agreement gardaí are currently receiving no pay increments. This affects anyone with less than 17 years’ service in the force, or 62% of rank-and-file gardaí.

There are similar concerns within the force over additional working hours and the loss of allowances imposed as a result of the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements.

The association says that the solutions to its grievances are contained within a 13-point discussion document which it submitted to he Department of Justice on 25 July.

In the meantime, a secret ballot is to be conducted of the association’s 10,000 members regarding any prospective day (or days) of industrial action.

File Photo The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors is to hold a special conference in June to discuss possible industrial action if the government does not commit to pay restoration. AGSI General Secretary John Jacob called on delegates at the a RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Members have until 5pm on 26 September to return their ballots.

“It is the association’s policy to reverse the pay cuts, protect pensions and ensure employment levels,” general secretary of the GRA Pat Ennis has said in the association’s latest newsletter.

It is of paramount importance that all of you take this opportunity to express your view on whether you are so dissatisfied with your pay and conditions that you are willing to take part in a day(s) of industrial action.

Ennis added that “the decision to take action is your individual choice”.

If you take action that involves a partial or complete withdrawal of services, you could be
found in breach of discipline.

The GRA has reported in recent months that morale is ‘non-existent’ within the force, while members have said they do not want to see any new Garda recruits until their dispute over pay has been resolved.

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