Gardaí criticise Drew Harris for referring rosters issue to formal  dispute process 

In a statement, the AGSI 'heavily criticised' Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for referring the rosters issue to a formal process. File picture

Frontline garda supervisors have “heavily criticised” Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for referring a row over new rosters to a formal dispute resolution process rather than continuing to engage in talks.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) said it believes it was still possible to “resolve the matter through consultation”, instead of having to enter into a formal process.

The association further said that sending the issue to a formal process comes at a time of serious recruitment and retention issues in the organisation and renewed concerns over the prevalence of Covid-19.

Last November, both the AGSI and the Garda Representative Association (GRA) rejected the new rosters, citing impacts to work-life balance, family-friendly working, and take-home pay.

In a statement issued yesterday, the AGSI “heavily criticised” Mr Harris for placing the matter of the proposed new garda roster into dispute, stating it believes there was “still scope” to resolve it through consultation.

It said that, last November, AGSI members overwhelmingly rejected the proposed new garda roster because of work-life balance issues and a requirement, for some members, to work up to an additional 47 days per year.

AGSI leader Antoinette Cunningham said garda sergeants and inspectors were in a 'constant state of uncertainty around working hours', adding that it is 'unfair and wrong'. Picture: Don MacMonagle

AGSI general secretary Antoinette Cunningham said the association had previously written to, and spoken with, the Garda Commissioner and appealed to him to reconvene the Westmanstown rosters forum to try and resolve the matter.

“We believe there is scope to resolve this matter through dialogue,” Ms Cunningham said.

“However, this morning the Garda Commissioner placed the matter of rosters into formal dispute something that the AGSI feel is unnecessary and inappropriate at this time given the many challenges facing the Garda organisation in the short term.”

Ms Cunningham said: “The last thing that AGSI needs at this time is a dispute with the Garda Commissioner given that Covid-19 is again highly prevalent and coupled with this, the organisation is currently experiencing serious recruitment and retention issue with falling Garda numbers.”

She said members had been working in a state of uncertainty since March 2020 when they began policing an emergency Covid-19 roster. She added: 

This uncertainty around members’ working conditions is having a severe effect on morale.

“We are in a constant state of uncertainty around working hours. It is unfair and wrong, with little consideration for members’ work-life balance.

“We are now calling on the Garda Commissioner to extend the current roster working arrangements for a minimum period of 12 months to provide some predictability to AGSI members.”

Ms Cunningham said such “uncertainty” around working conditions would not be tolerated elsewhere.

The association said it will meet next week to consider the impact of the “commissioner’s commencement of this dispute” and the impact on its membership given its “unprecedented” nature.