The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, last night asked gardai to reconsider their rejection of a Government pay-for-productivity deal and told them there would be no improvement in the offer on the table.
In a poll of just under 9,000 gardai, a majority of about two-thirds rejected the Government's offer of an increase of about 4 per cent in return for new work procedures.
The Government was offering gardai a one-off pay increase to implement new shift arrangements; the introduction of the £55 million PULSE computer system; an increased use of civilian staff; and a "pay path" system for wages.
The force has now rejected the deal twice, although it was endorsed by the leadership of the Garda Representative Association (GRA).
Garda sources last night insisted their rejection of the deal was not comparable with the nurses' case. The gardai had already accepted the Partnership 2000 pay award.
There was no threat of industrial action by gardai, only a refusal to implement the new working arrangements.
Senior gardai are concerned, however, that there will be severe administrative problems as the force's main computer system will be closed down at the end of this week because it is not Y2K-compatible. It had been hoped to replace it with the PULSE system.
The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, said yesterday that the force would continue to provide a "quality service" for the public.
The Minister said the offer to the Garda represented a "very significant award". He strongly urged GRA to review its position, adding: "As guardians of the public interest and in fairness to all the employees who resolved their claims under the PCW, the Government is not prepared to contemplate any improvement on that award."
The GRA leadership is meeting tomorrow and Thursday to discuss the rejection of the deal. All 8,645 members were polled on the pay-for-productivity offer. However, 4,000 gardai in urban areas were separately polled on whether they would accept new working rosters. Only 2,249 of the city gardai voted, 1,329 against the new rosters and 920 for, representing a 59 per cent rejection.
As part of the conditions of the poll, it was decided not to proceed to the national vote if the city gardai rejected the new conditions. But it is understood that rural gardai rejected the pay offer by about two to one.
Meanwhile, it is understood that some of the 350 officers of garda rank not represented by the GRA are considering a High Court action to force the Government to pay them the statutory increase under the Partnership 2000 pay round. This 9 per cent award was being held back until the productivity measures were introduced.