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THE TAOISEACH HAS said that “modifications” would be needed to garda rosters to halt an industrial relations dispute while Commissioner Drew Harris believes that protests by middle ranked gardaí are “unnecessary”.
Both Leo Varadkar and Harris were speaking at the opening of a new garda station in Dublin earlier today.
Members of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) are set to picket garda headquarters on Monday as part of a “day of action” against the Commissioner’s handling of the roster dispute.
Both garda representative groups, AGSI as well as the Garda Representative Association (GRA), had voted against accepting new working time arrangements for gardaí.
AGSI had voted earlier this week to carry out protests in a clear escalation in its disagreement with Garda Headquarters. Harris has referred the issue to the Workplace Relations Commission.
Speaking this morning Varadkar said that it was a “very important issue that needs to be resolved”.
“We need rosters that work for the public so that the guards are available when we need them to be available. But you also need rosters that work for gardaí that respects family life and work life balance,” he said.
Varadkar said that “everyone” accepts that there is a need for reform and to modernise garda rosters but added that they needed to be fair to the workforce.
“We do need people working weekends and evenings but you can’t expect people to work every weekend and every evening for the rest of their life.
“So it’s about getting the balance right, [it] probably just involves some modifications rather than going back to the drawing board,” he said.
Commissioner
Drew Harris said that he believed the days of action were unwarranted and that he had met with AGSI to listen to its concerns.
“Well, roster issues were subjected to examinations now for some three and a half years – we tried hard internally to find a resolution, that wasn’t possible.
“My view is now that it had to move to the external conciliation service, that’s the WRC. That’s presently ongoing, and we certainly will be entering the WRC hopeful of finding a conclusion and resolution,” he said.
Harris said that changes to the working time hours of gardaí were about finding efficiencies around “service delivery” and the general effectiveness of operational gardaí.
“I would say that the protest itself will be unnecessary given the action being taken and I don’t think it’s particularly helpful when we’re going into the process of the WRC,” he added.
100 members of the AGSI will march on the Garda Headquarters on Monday morning.
Sources have said that the GRA’s Central Executive Committee met last night to discuss the issue.
It is understood that the WRC has sent an invite to AGSI and GRA to attend a meeting with the Department of Public Expenditure, Department of Justice and garda management officials.
In the meantime, the current contingency roster which was put in place during Covid-19 has been extended until September next.
Gardaí affected by the change are unhappy with an arrangement which would see them working for seven straight days before receiving two rest days.
The issue is around so-called “non-core” units which make up specialist gardaí such as detectives and community policing. In the new roster, they would work six days on/three days off, then seven days on/two day off and then seven days on/three days off.
There are also concerns about the possible loss of allowances for working unsociable hours because they would not be expected to perform night duty.
AGSI said its members had rejected the proposed new Garda Roster in November citing work-life balance issues, and a requirement to work up to an additional 47 days per year, for some members – they rejected the roster proposals by 63% in a ballot of members.
The issue has caused disquiet in garda representative bodies for the last three years as negotiations were ongoing.
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Shame he can’t sign one punishing anyone in the US from interfering in foreign elections. Although, in fairness, they have often just skipped the elections and went straight for the overthrow.
@WinstonSmith: He’s been asking why he just can’t assassinate world leaders he doesn’t like…
@WinstonSmith: “Overthrow” is politically incorrect. “Regime change to restore democracy” is more acceptable.
@John Ryan: Surprised he didn’t drone strike McCain’s funeral. Would be a fitting tribute.
@kartz: Yeah democracy all right. The voters at shareholder meetings for oil companies and companies that sell military equipment.
@kartz: or in Egypt’s case, ‘regime change to irradicate democracy’ when the Yanks didn’t like who the Egyptian people voted for.
@WinstonSmith: Because someone in the whitehouse snatched the documents from his desk before he could sign them
@Harry Whitehead: an observation is not whataboutary…. back under the bridge with you troll
@Cormac Ó Braonáin: …irradiate OR eradicate, not both.
@Harry Whitehead: The well documented interference of the US in hundreds of foreign governments is neither a conspiracy not disputed. It also happens to be the same topic, that topic being meddling on foreign governments. …. and I am not embarrassed, but I thank you for your concern.
Another document he thinks he signed. One of his own staff probably switched it out for an expenses claim form at the last second while making screw ball gestures behind his back.
@Tweed Cap: probably just a small loan of a million dollars…
Will that order include American interference in other countries elections also.
@Donal Desmond: No, that wouldn’t really make a lot of sense as they’d be punishing themselves. Hope this helped.
@Donal Desmond: A NO COME ON
That horse has bolted Donald, much to your benefit.
@Jamie McCormack: Do as I say.
Not as I do.
That’s sorted so….!!!
@Paul Shepherd: Israel of course will be exempt
@Tommy C: I think you’ll find they are fully embedded
@Herbert: just my way of saying exactly that
To be honest, lads, I jumped straight to the comments on this one….
@Eidhne Conlon: Can understand why. Down with anyway.
The real teflon don
@Kieran Stafford: Muller got Gotti…he’ll get Trump too…
@John Ryan: not likely
What’s he going to do? Go to some other country (I’m looking at you Russia) and prosecute someone there? Yeah right
@Bridget O’Hanlon: Israel interfers more than any other country in the US elections. Always have.
McCarthyism Paranoia… I can see free speech on Twitter from people in foreign countries tweeting about the US elections being chased by the FBI and by the NSA now?
To all my cousins and friends living in America. Don’t vote for this annoying orange clown next election. Awaits the jackboots of Team America at my door.
Crickets……
What a knut.
I wonder if they will prosecute Israel now
Will he expect the ICC to do the prosecuting?
Waiting for the Journal to publish a story on how John Kerry may have violated the Logan Act on multiple occasions. I could be waiting a while.
This will backfire spectacularly on him.. dunce
have your say