GRA deal clears way for union talks

The approval by rank-and-file gardaí of a €50m pay deal is set to clear the way for other trade unions to formally begin fresh talks with the Government about restoring pay that was cut during the crash.

The overwhelming acceptance of the Labour Court recommended deal by the Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents more than 10,000 gardaí, will pave the way for new talks on a successor to the current deal with workers.

After mounting pressure, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe last week agreed to talks on the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA). Unions say the garda deal makes the agreement untenable.