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THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) will hold a two day meeting starting today to consider feedback from members who have been holding regional meetings across the country over the last couple of weeks.
Last night, gardaí in South Dublin passed a motion calling for the GRA to establish guidelines for a work-to-rule, commencing 19 February. This would see gardaí withdrawing any goodwill activities within their roles such as using their personal phones or personal protective equipment or refusing to attend calls that are not a garda matter.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie ahead of today’s meeting, John Parker, President of the GRA said the decisions made at meetings were a “reflection of views of divisions and they’ll all be brought before the executive for consideration”.
“Irate is too mild a word for how people are feeling,” he said. “Members are livid with the situation and they’re sick of having to apoligise to people for turning up late and not having appropriate resources. They want to be able to go out to the old lady who has been burgled but she has to wait four or five hours because she’s on a list.”
While the chances of industrial action across the board as soon as next Tuesday are not high, Parker said that if the meeting comes out with a particular message, the association will act.
“The GRA will discuss all items that have been passed on from divisional meetings and open meetings, and the campaign ahead,” he said.
Prison officers
Last night, gardaí in South Dublin also passed a motion which would see no garda work in the prison service if prison officers were to go on strike.
Jim Mitchell, Deputy General Secretary for the Prison Officers Association told TheJournal.ie that if its members were to strike, it would be a matter for the management to work out who to put in their place.
“We take on board the sentiment and we appreciate it because there’s the exact same feeling among our guys,” Mitchell said. “There are more prisoners coming in and less officers to deal with them, people are getting assaulted and injured and still coming into work and then they say they’re going to reduce Sunday time and take away pay for night duty.”
Members of the gardaí, fire fighters, healthcare workers, paramedics and prison officers are all due to attend an open meeting on Monday of the 24/7 Frontline Alliance. John Redmond of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors said today that the Alliance will be hearing from members from the floor about how the cuts are affecting them and whether there is an appetite for future cuts.
“I already know that members from the AGSI have made it clear thay there is no question of them accepting further cuts to their pay,” he said.
Redmond said it is not likely that a decision will be made on collective action at Monday’s meeting but he said the Alliance was meeting regularly to discuss options for it’s members.
“We’re meeting on a regular basis and we’re obviously not meeting to have cups of tea and cucumber sandwiches,” he said. “We’re meeting to discuss action.”
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If the film is an accurate representation of what these lads did a medal isn’t enough, it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, stuff of legends. “We fired every bullet twice” you couldn’t make it up much respect for all involved.
@Marc Walsh: Hear hear Marc. Couldn’t agree with you more..
After hearing about the Peacekeepers being killed today; it really puts their achievement into context.
If half of the story is true it is still amazing that none of them were killed.
@Niallers: Its all true. My father was a mortar commander in A Company. It was the most incredible thing watching the movie for the first time with him and seeing him relive it all. He said the only cinematic deviance that he was aware of was that the helicopter was shot before it got off the ground. In the movie the heli is shot out of the air. What it didn’t show was the chaplain going from tench to trench giving the men the last rites. My dad is a hero :)
@Helena Quinn: Yes he is .
@Helena Quinn: he most certainly is.respect.
Anyone who is sent to protect and comes out the otherside should have a lot more than a medal.
It’s amazing that the articles don’t include Conor Cruise O’Briens responsibility for the men being in this predicament.Whitewashed out of it for some reason.
I would appeal to the Irish government to recognise these brave warriors actions and that of their Commandant and award them the highest honour the state can bestow in the form of a proper decorative medal in respect of their outstanding bravery against overwhelming odds.I salute them and their memory for service towards world peace.True patriots all.
the movie was incredible, their story amazing, what they did was heroism, but that their own country condemned them as cowards and traitors is sickening, these men should have lived the life of heroes upon their return, but instead were cast aside as an embarrassment to the hierarchy of the army, shame shame shame
I am totally thrilled these men got recognised for their bravery and so those my father who was in the 34th Battalion in the Congo. As a veteran himself my father feels that all the battalions should get a recognition for their services especially the early ones like the 32nd, 33rd,34,35th,38th all involved in Combat. My father told me stories that’d make the hair stand on your head, he was in several situations and sieges where they had to fight their way out and he was always on the front line as a Bren. I’m getting his story told after Christmas and pursuing it more for recognition.
Give them medals. Long long overdue
Hear, hear. I don’t understand why they haven’t received individual medals for their courage already. The army knows what they went through – public opinion back in the day has nothing to do with how well they came through. Brilliant film too.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: medals lol you are hilarious
About time these men were truly honoured for their bravery.
The way they were treated was both embarrassing and shameful.
It seems the prologue to the siege involved Indian troops with a gung-ho attitude. The progression of the siege involved the Cruiser trying to protect his own ass. The end involved the Irish Top Brass displaying an ostrich head in the sand mentality. The Irish troops were treated as tiny pawns in a game. To treat them as cowards was utterly despicable by the Irish State. To have the reputation of a judicious commander who managed the situation and protected the lives of his men left in tatters by the attitude of his so called superiors was nothing short of scandalous.
The politicians , was it Connor cruise O brien involved in that
Bravery for making tea, decisions Lyons or Barrys
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