Conference Report 2016

CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT
career breaks, pension provisions, incentivised
early retirement. The Association reserves the right
to address this Review on a ‘needs must’ basis for
any initiative or proposal that would further diminish
conditions for the Garda rank.
1.52 The GRA is favourably disposed toward progressive
change initiatives that meet the needs of Garda
management and the public, subject to any such
initiative showing sensitivity to the needs and
aspirations of the Association’s membership.
1.53 The GRA gives full and frank consideration to any
reasonable and rewarding proposals in the area of
annualised hours. An annualised hours system has
been a feature of work for our colleagues in the
prison service. The initiative has been highly
successful in reducing the service’s overtime bill.
However, the demand for garda services is not
always as predictable as those within the prison
system – and as a result it may be unfeasible to
deploy any generic mechanism constructed for an
alternate service.
1.54 The decision of the Council of Europe has yet to be
formally discussed, and all references have put
upon this Review to finalise a working solution
including all workers’ rights to be part of a trade
union and to withhold or withdraw their labour
(strike). Also, full discussion also needs to address
the garda staff associations right to affiliate to other
workers’ groups particularly the Irish Congress of
Trade Unions (ICTU), particularly when garda staff
associations have not been permitted to enter pay
negotiations directly, and have been effectively
removed from the negotiating chamber.
1.55 The role of the WRC (LRC) in brokering the operative
sectoral agreement for An Garda Síochána and their
representative associations is a significant
development in the ‘normalising’ of our industrial
relations structures and processes. It was the first
time that this Association has had access to the
services of the LRC on a collective basis and that in
due course it may be adjudged to constitute an
appropriate exemplar in support of the case for
regular access to the WRC (and the Labour Court).
This Review enjoys the de facto status of a
Commission, the GRA demands that it be more than
an isolated review to deal with anomalies and
inequities.
1.56 The Association brings to the Review’s attention a
range of concerns of the current structures and
mechanism for the resolution of industrial relations
matters in An Garda Síochána (Conciliation &
Arbitration).
1.57 It is consequential that the GRA is precluded from
taking any form of industrial action in support of its
demands, while also excluded from participating in
national level negotiations. Based upon the lessons
learned from the wider industrial relations process
and our British counterparts, together with the
beneficial experiences in this jurisdiction
(associated with the Conroy and Ryan Inquiries),
and the subsequent embittering treatment of gardaí
(and their pay and conditions), the GRA now
proposes that:
1. A Garda Remuneration Review Body (GRRB) is
permanently established to provide independent
binding determinations to government on the
remuneration and terms and conditions of
employment of gardaí. In reaching its
recommendations the review body must have
regard to the following considerations:
• the particular frontline role and nature of the
Garda rank;
• the number of gardaí required to fulfil the
policing function;
• the prohibition on gardaí being members of a
trade union or withdrawing their labour;
• the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably
able and qualified gardaí;
• the resources available to government and the
representations of Garda Commissioners in
funding issues;
• the government’s economic targets;
• the government’s policies for improving public
services.
2. An agreed independent chairman with
independent secretariat support would lead the
tripartite GRRB.
3. The review body should be required to take
account of the economic and other evidence
submitted by government, staff, independent
experts, staff representatives and others.
4. Reports and binding recommendations of the
review body should be submitted to government
and published.
5. The GRRB would be responsible for determining
all aspects of police remuneration including pay,
allowances, hours of duty, leave and pensions.
18 Garda Representative Association