AGSI launches High Court action against Garda Commissioner over rosters

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris is facing High Court action from the Association of Garda Sergeants & Inspectors. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Just over a week after hundreds of its members took part in protest marches, the Association of Garda Sergeants & Inspectors (AGSI) launched High Court proceedings against the Garda Commissioner over proposed new work rosters.

The AGSI claims proposed new rostering arrangements to replace those introduced as a response to the covid-19 pandemic will adversely impact on its members' health, safety and family lives. 

The current work time arrangements are due to end in October.

The AGSI wants the court to injunct the commissioner from unilaterally imposing a new rostering schedule on its 2,500 members later this year.

It also wants:

• Orders preventing Commissioner Drew Harris from extending working arrangements put in place during the pandemic.
• Drew Harris to exhaust all internal Garda dispute resolution procedures before seeking the assistance of the Workplace Relations Commission.

The injunctions, if granted, would remain in place pending the outcome of the proceedings.

In a sworn statement to the court, AGSI General Secretary Antoinette Cunningham said expert reviews of the proposed new arrangements found that the roster arrangements proposed last year would impact members work-life balance, increase fatigue, and workplace risk.

She said she did not agree with a notice published by the commissioner earlier this month that the matter should go to the Workplace Relations Commission, and that all internal industrial relations processes within An Garda Síochána have been exhausted in relation to a revised roster.

The case was briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Brian O'Moore. He, on an ex-parte basis, granted the AGSI permission to serve short notice of the injunction proceedings on the commissioner. 

The case will come back before the court next week.