Council of Europe ruling sees gardai win right to strike

Ireland?s 13,000 garda? are entitled to be part of national pay talks and to strike, doing away with the need for bouts of "blue-flu".

Forbidden since their foundation to strike, the Association of Garda Inspectors and Sergeants (AGSI) took a case to the Council of Europe, complaining that their rights under the European Social Charter were being abused.

The Committee which oversees the Charter agreed with most of their case, which was taken on their behalf by EuroCOP, the umbrella body that represents EU police forces.