Conference Report 2016

CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT
Tier 1 – District level/ Section
District matters of concern or Industrial relations issues
that arise should in the first instance be resolved at the
district/section level with the assistance of local
members from the representative body who raised the
matter. Every effort will be made to resolve the issue
locally and the District Officer/Superintendent may
facilitate whatever meetings are necessary in order to
reach a solution. If a satisfactory outcome cannot be
achieved the District Officer/Superintendent and the
local representative may escalate the matter to Tier 2.
Tier 2 – Divisional level/Section
Divisional matters of concern or Industrial relations
issues that fail to be resolved at a District/Section level
will be adjudicated on by the Divisional Officer/Chief
Superintendent. Every effort will be made to resolve the
matter at this level and the Divisional Officer/Chief
Superintendent may facilitate whatever meetings are
necessary in order to reach a satisfactory outcome
where possible. Only failing a mutually satisfactory
outcome, should the issue be escalated to Tier 3.
Tier 3 – National level
National matters of concern or Industrial relations issues
that fail to be resolved at Divisional/Sectional level may
be escalated to National level and will be sent to the
specially appointed Assistant Commissioner for
consideration. This Assistant Commissioner will deal
with matters raised by all ranks up to and including
Superintendent level. In order to have a matter examined
at this level it will be necessary for the General Secretary
or Deputy General Secretary of the relevant association
to write to the specific Assistant Commissioner outlining
the national matter of concern /industrial relations issue
that has arisen. The Assistant Commissioner will be
required to convene a meeting if necessary, to consider
the issue from all perspectives and to synthesise the
views, where necessary, in an effort to reconcile the
different opinions, while treating all parties with
understanding, openness and frankness with a view to
reaching a position that is mutually beneficial, while
ensuring the public gets the policing service it deserves.
The Assistant Commissioner will if it is a policing matter,
revert to the General Secretary with a response in writing
within a reasonable time frame. Where national matters
of concern or industrial relations issues are, by
agreement not considered to be operational policing
matters they may be escalated directly to the Executive
Director of Human Resources and People Development.
National Matters of concern or industrial relations issues
raised by Divisional Officers/ Chief Superintendents will
be sent in writing to Deputy Commissioner Strategy and
Change Management for consideration.
OffICERS
Where an Officer of Superintendent rank perceives an
industrial relations issue every effort will be made in the
first instance to resolve it at Divisional/Sectional level
with the assistance of their local staff representative and
the Divisional Officer/Chief Superintendent. The Divisional
Officer/Chief Superintendent will facilitate whatever
meetings are necessary in order to try to reach a solution.
If a satisfactory outcome cannot be achieved the District
Officer/Superintendent and their local representative may
escalate the matter to the local Assistant Commissioner
who will make every effort to resolve the matter at that
level. If a satisfactory outcome cannot be achieved the
matter may be escalated by the District
Officer/Superintendent and their local representative to
the National level described above at Tier 3.
When an Officer of Chief Superintendent rank perceives
they have an industrial relations issue he/she will have a
frank and open discussion with their local Assistant
Commissioner. If a satisfactory outcome cannot be
achieved, the Divisional Officer/Chief Superintendent and
their local representative may escalate the matter to
National Level as described above at Tier 3.
REVIEw mEChANISm
This procedure may be used as an internal mechanism of
last resort for the representative bodies to seek a review
of a decision made by the Chairman of the National
Workplace Relations Forum or by a decision made at Tier
3 concerning workplace disputes. This request for a
review of a decision should be used sparingly and the
representative body must clearly state the grounds for
their request in writing to Deputy Commissioner Strategy
and Change Management.
The request for a review of a decision will be considered
by the garda executive leadership team namely the two
Deputy Commissioners and the Chief Administrative
Officer. Deputy Commissioner Strategy and Change
Management will chair this deliberative process. Full
details of the grounds for a request for a review should
be documented by the appropriate representative
association. The Chairman of the National Workplace
Relations Forum will document the rationale for the
decision made at that forum. Similarly, the rationale for
decisions made at tier 3 will be documented. The review
may be considered by way of an evaluation of the
documents. Where sought the representative bodies
shall be given a right of audience to present their case to
the garda executive leadership team. The outcome of
this review will be communicated in writing by Deputy
Commissioner Strategy and Change Management to the
representative association and to the Commissioner
without undue delay.
54 Garda Representative Association