LAST UPDATE | 27 Sep 2023

RANK AND FILE gardaí have voted to strike on 10 November as their industrial relations dispute with the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris deepens. 

The vote was taken today at a Garda Representative Association (GRA) special delegate conference in Kilkenny.

The Journal has learned that they will enter a de facto work-to-rule by not agreeing to work overtime on Budget Day and 10 October and Halloween night 31 October – they will do the same on 3, 17, 24 October.

The gardaí have colloquially begun to call the action the “Drew Flu” – which is a reference to their 1998 withdrawal of labour known as the “Blue Flu, when gardaí called in sick in a dispute over pay and conditions.  

The GRA had held a meeting with Drew Harris yesterday but Ronan Slevin, the GRA General Secretary claimed that the Commissioner had “invited conflict” during the meetings.   

Gardaí at present work a four-on-four-off roster which was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Commissioner Drew Harris has said he will introduced a revised roster of six-days-on four days off in November regardless of opposition from the GRA. 

This week’s meetings follow last week’s overwhelming no confidence vote in the Commissioner from the rank-and-file policing body – with 98.7% of the 85% member turnout backing the motion. 

A GRA statement said this evening that the delegate conference had “reaffirmed” the position of the no confidence vote. 

“Over the past two weeks we had hoped that the Commissioner would take stock of the feelings on the ground with frontline gardaí struggling with stress and low morale caused by uncertain working conditions and a poor working environment.

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“We have tried to get the attention of the Commissioner and impress on him the many concerns affecting his own work force.

“However, what we have been met with is blind inaction and a dogged single minded approach to the Rosters situation which has strengthened our resolve and reiterates our lack of confidence in the Commissioner’s leadership,” the statement said. 

This is a developing story and we will update as we more information.