Garda groups agree pay terms within PPF

The agreement of terms with the Garda associations is in contrast to the industrial turmoil that surrounded the previous two …

The agreement of terms with the Garda associations is in contrast to the industrial turmoil that surrounded the previous two public sector pay rounds.

During difficult negotiations over the Programme for Competitiveness in Work and Partnership 2000 gardai embarked on industrial action for the first time in the history of the force.

There were two "blue flu" days of industrial action in May and September 1998.

The progress of pay talks in the Garda Representative Association (GRA) led to acrimonious internal divisions in 1993 resulting in the breakaway of a group of about 2,500 members who formed the short lived Garda Federation. This eventually returned to the GRA.

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Gardai also threatened to boycott the introduction of the force's new computer system, PULSE. However, agreement was reached at the end of 1999 after a special deal above the terms of the social partnership was agreed.

Last week all four Garda associations signed the terms of the PPF including the additional inflation-linked payments negotiated by ICTU. They also signed up to the benchmarking system to cover the effects of inflation.

The deal was signed by the Garda Representative Association (GRA), the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), the Garda Superintendents Association and the Chief Superintendents Association, representing just over 10,500 officers.

Commenting on the agreement, the AGSI general secretary, Mr George Maybury, said: "We are looking forward to working with the benchmarking committee to advance the payments to our members."

The associations are not affiliated to ICTU as they are precluded by law from membership of trade unions.