Gardaí: ‘We were conned’ in pay review

THE largest Garda representative body has slammed the benchmarking process as a “charade”.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) said it was “conned” by the benchmarking review, which last month ruled that most public sector workers (including gardaí) would not receive a pay rise.

The GRA said it may decide to opt out of the next national wage agreement.

In a hard-hitting editorial in the Garda Review, general secretary PJ Stone said: “We were conned. For all the time, effort and money that we spent in creating a first-class submission to the benchmarking body it came to nothing.

A big round zero. To say that we were gravely disappointed at this charade is putting it mildly.”

Mr Stone claimed the benchmarking was “merely an illusory exercise” to retain a semblance of industrial harmony when politicians, senior civil servants and the heads of State commercial bodies awarded themselves “exorbitant pay increases” while they remained outside of the process.

He said the GRA had expected its members to be remunerated for their flexibility while undergoing changes to their working structures and conditions.

He said improved efficiency and effectiveness had not been paid for in the normal national wage increases.

“The association will carefully analyse our position regarding the successor to Towards 2016. The benchmarking charade failed to take account of the increasing dangers our members have to face daily.

“There is a real increase in the risk of major injury and even death. One of our members was shot on the streets four months ago; others have been stabbed since then.

“We must now wait to see how the wider trade union movement reacts to the 0% increases, and whether we should pursue the possibility of opting out of the next national wage agreement.”