The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) will hold what it has called a day of action next Monday in a row with Garda management over proposed new rosters.
The association met today in Athlone for a special delegate conference, only the second time in its 45 year history.
In a statement, it said that 100 members will hold protest march to Garda headquarters next Monday and a hand a letter to Garda management outlining their concerns.
It said this is phase one of a two-part agreed strategy, where the initial focus for the next four weeks will be on health, safety and welfare of AGSI members.
It said if matters are not addressed sufficiently, it will elevate at the Annual Delegate Conference next month to phase two, which will be a discussion on a mandate for all forms of industrial action.
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AGSI General Secretary Antoinette Cunningham said members are angry, upset and frustrated that just over five weeks from now they do not know what their work pattern is - a situation, she said, which would be unacceptable in any other workplace.
"In March 2020 members moved overnight to a new roster to police the Covid-19 pandemic and undertakings by the Garda Commissioner that we would return to our normal working patterns have not been honoured," she said.
"A ballot of the membership on new roster proposals was rejected by AGSI members in October 2022 and a dispute on the matter commenced then. AGSI have sought that roster negotiations are re-opened but the Garda Commissioner has refused to allow this," she added.
The AGSI’s first 'Day of Action’ will be on 13 March when 100 members of AGSI representing each of their 31 branches and National Executive will march to Garda Headquarters and hand a letter to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris outlining their concerns.
The second ‘Day of Action’ will proceed if concerns raised are not addressed.
Last month, the Garda Commissioner referred the roster dispute to the Workplace Relations Commission claiming that all internal industrial relations processes had been exhausted.
This followed three years of discussions between Garda management and representative associations.
A proposed Working Time Agreement and rosters were agreed to by Garda management, the Superintendents Association, and the Chief Superintendents Association, the proposal however was rejected by the GRA and AGSI.
"The commissioner remains committed to reaching a solution as soon as possible, in order to give colleagues certainty in their working lives going forward," according to a Garda statement.
Additional reporting Brian O'Donovan
