GRA to defer protest to allow for talks on new roster proposal

Garda HQ in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

The Garda Representative Association has agreed to postpone industrial action to allow for talks on new rosters after receiving fresh proposals from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

The breakthrough came during talks between Commissioner Harris and GRA bosses on Thursday morning followed by a meeting between all four garda staff bodies, including the GRA, and Garda management on Friday morning.

Drew Harris has agreed to the bulk of requests from the GRA, including that most, though not all, of its members stay on the existing Covid roster.

As part of his proposals, the commissioner will no longer reintroduce the old Westmanstown roster for all gardaí on 6 November, a key demand of the GRA.

The GRA officer board briefed its governing body – the Central Executive Committee – on Friday afternoon about the proposals and there was “overwhelming agreement” to defer actions and enter talks.

Under the proposals:

• Core units – frontline units – will stay on the Covid roster of four days on (12-hour shift) and four days off;
• Non-core units – such as divisional drug units, traffic units and community policing – will revert to the Westmanstown roster of six days on (10-hour shift,) and four days off 
• Office staff ordinarily used to working 9am-5pm will return to their pre-Covid working pattern 
• These rosters will continue pending the outcome of negotiations on a new roster, with the talks limited by a deadline, to be set on Monday

In an email to its 11,000 members, the GRA said: “Over the past two days we have met with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and his senior leadership team where we are happy to report that significant progress was made which allowed the GRA’s Officer Board to now officially enter negotiations to try find a long-term solution to the rosters issue.

“As you are aware, previously the Commissioner had announced his intention to reimpose the pre-Covid, 2012 Westmanstown Roster, which involves a ‘6 day on, 4 day off’ pattern for all members on a 10-week cycle. This would require the creation and deployment of five units and would commence in the week beginning November 6, 2023.” 

 The GRA statement said: “These match the terms set out in the GRA’s own proposed alternative Roster which the GRA presented to both Garda Management at the Westmanstown talks and at the subsequent discussions with the Conciliation Council.

“As mentioned, the GRA discussed these developments at a specially convened meeting of our Central Executive Committee directly after today’s meeting and there was overwhelming agreement on the following proposal: 'Based on Management’s proposal the GRA agree to reenter negotiations and defer any proposed actions'.

“This is a temporary measure to allow these negotiations progress in good faith, and any proposed final agreement will of course be subject to a ballot of our members. As such, we have agreed that the next stages of actions emanating from our Special Delegates Conference last month will now be deferred.” 

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

While Commissioner Harris led the talks on Thursday, he was not personally present at Friday’s meeting as he was called away on another matter.

The management team was led by Deputy Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon, who presented the commissioner’s proposals.

Garda HQ issued a statement after yesterday’s talks: “The meeting held today at Garda HQ involved all four garda associations, including the GRA.

“Members of Garda management met collectively with all four Garda associations this morning. This followed a series of meetings collectively and individually over the last two weeks between Commissioner Harris and Garda senior management and the Garda associations as part of an intensive industrial relations process to seek agreement on a new roster.

“At the meeting today, Garda management put forward a set of proposals that all the Garda associations agreed to bring back to each of their central executives for consideration.” It said all parties are due to meet again on Monday, 9 October.

“An Garda Síochána will not be commenting on the detail of the proposals until each association has had the opportunity to consider them,” the statement said.

All four garda associations have to agree to the new roster. This includes the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, which was willing to return to the Westmanstown Roster on 6 November.

The national executive of the AGSI is due to meet tonight.