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THE ASSOCIATION OF Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has accused the Government of circulating misinformation into the public.
In a statement last night, AGSI president Antoinette Cunningham said there had been “incorrect media reports” circulating yesterday to do with the organisation’s ability to access industrial relations machinery.
Talks went on until the early hours of this morning between AGSI representatives and Government officials at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), with a view to averting four days of Garda strikes starting on 4 November.
It is believed there were no significant breakthroughs that could put a halt to the dispute following the talks.
AGSI as well as the rank and file members of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) will go on strike for four days next month unless a dispute around pay is resolved.
The Government is expected to being a proposal document to talks with GRA when the two sides meet later today. The GRA central executive committee will meet this afternoon to discuss the proposals.
WRC
Gardaí have been granted access to the WRC on an ad hoc, temporary basis to try to resolve the dispute.
It was reported yesterday that Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe and Government chief whip Regina Doherty had stated that AGSI now had access to the WRC to resolve disputes.
However Cunningham said that this was not the case, as the arrangement was only on an ad hoc basis and not permanent.
“While we are accessing the WRC at the minute it is on an ad hoc basis to deal with the current negotiations,” said Cunningham in a statement.
“However, the substantial issue of long-term access remains to be resolved.
We have heard the Minister for Justice committing to providing access to the WRC but AGSI is not aware of any steps having been taken to progress the legislative changes necessary to activate WRC access for our members.
Cunningham said it was “wrong that as talks continue misinformation is being circulated by Government Ministers or representatives”.
She also said AGSI did not believe the Public Sector Commission on Pay would resolve the matter around Garda pay as it is “not a decision-making body”.
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That boy Paschal … Farm out the issue.. Keep FG out of it ☺
Misinformation. Well i never.
I’d say Maurice McCabe could tell the AGSI a thing or two about misinformation.
@Billy Mooney: bold billy! ignore the whistleblowers, cronyisim at the top table, crime figures askew, non engagement with oversight bodies, investigating themselves yet officially don’t, travesties of justice eg dean lyons, there is a pay demand regardless of how much they earn as nobody knows the facts just a pay scale with nothing more re hours per week? overtime and shift allownances forget the pensions, big no go area. yet it has to be paid?, just because.
Lots of buzz words there Ciaran but no substance. And what has overtime got to do with it? They work 60 hours in 6 days as a basic. Overtime availability has no relevance to someone’s pay for obvious reasons
@ciaran: The AAA supports the right of the Gardai (and all workers) to organize and strike for better pay and conditions. We don’t support the Gardai when they attempt to destroy whistleblowers who expose internal corruption. And we strongly oppose the Gardai when they allow themselves to be used by the state to crush movements of the working class such as the student protests in 2011 or the current water charges campaign and their attack on the people of Jobstown. If the ordinary rank and file Gardai were to stand in solidarity with other sections of the working class then that would certainly change things for the better. They could start by refusing to stand in defense of the sheriffs and bailiffs sent to evict families from their homes to benefit the parasite banks and vulture funds.
@scientia: I don’t doubt you, do you know how many hours a month are expected on the flat rate? 240(60 p/week) or 160(40 p/week)?
6 x 10 hour shifts? And how many days off after that? Can’t assess the hours till that info is added.
@lavbeer: I believe its 6 on, 4 off and repeat!
Sounds reasonable to me. Wouldn’t mind a job with those hours myself
Couldn’t agree More.
Isn’t the shoe on the other foot now,
We can hassle and belittle you and place you in jail when you want to change society for the better but we want you to pay us more money while we do it .
Iv no doubt the guards have a really hard and under appreciated Job that isn’t well enough paid in most cases but they seem to want bread buttered in both side’s here.
The people pay your wages and if you want more pay , mutual respect is needed.
Must change my name on this website……….
Unmarked car parked out side my house now……..
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
AGS are recruiting at the moment. Off you go to Templemore.
@ciaran: Disinformation and spin from the representative bodies , who did nothing to support the whistleblowers, in fact the opposite, they allowed them to be bullied and harassed. Zero public support for theses chancers, who need the rent allowance to pay the second mortgage, since so many have extensive property portfolios that went tits up in the bust.
6 days on 4 days off is the rota
Why don’t you join so?
Scintia. Would work 60 hours a week and get a pittence. I wouldn’t thsts for sure i always find in this Country if it doesn’t affect me i’m not pushed.
While the Government are sitting back hoping it will go away. Well it ain’t next Nurses the Teachers are already started. The Dail are still getting a great wage and mot doing much for the Country to earn it.
Stephan Maher. Don’t hear you mosning about the TDs ministers Enda and they have let us down big time, and only because we shouted they would have taken 5 grand more a year.
The elephant in the room as always is the cost of living; and as always FF/FG/Lab and media ‘medfia’ have concentrated their efforts in pumping the property market whilst pay standards have remained entrenched. Untill affordable/social housing is built on a massive massive scale this rat race will continue and SME’s will struggle to attact competitively priced and sustainable work forces. ‘Freemarket lovers, such as Noonan have f*ked this country up.
Finishing the 6 days on a night (7am) mostly. They don’t get 4 days off when you consider that they’re in bed for most of that one and trying to get back to a normal sleep routine for the next 3 before doing it all over again 3 days later. There is no overtime built in. Any overtime (which in reality does not exist outside Dublin) must be worked on top of the 60 hours (in 6 days).
just to clarify, noonan is not a lover of the free market either. his actions of socialising billions of debt and personal anti-competitive deals with multinationals are the antithesis of free marketeering. he’s just a slimy politician who happens to have shares in dodgy funds that compromise his integrity. don’t let this distract us from the fact that they will pump our money to the CIF for short term gain (for both of them), but not have a plan for developing a sustainable building industry.
@ciaran: you are 100% right, but don’t expect much support here(mostly public servant especially gardai) don’t expect any sort of truthful answer from the gardai on here about hours overtime expenses allowances annual leave sick pay early retirement. If they are so hard done by they couldn’t wait to put this information out there.
@ciarain. You comments make complete sense. Cost of living is so high in Ireland. From a guy who worked in the U.K. I cannot believe the cost of transport, food, utilities, housing, insurance etc.. until these are sorted everyone wants needs a pay rise.
Also 24.8% of workforce are public servants. That is one of the highest in the EU. I am not bashing them, but we are a small nation.
Compared to U.K. Unemployment benefit is more double in Ireland. All because cost of living is so high
They do 41 hours a week. All other public service are 39 hours a week
Wouldn’t bother with the name change Stephen, it’s not as I’d your opinion counts for anything
Joe, salary, allowances, sick pay, annual leave and everything else you need to know (but don’t want to know) is a matter of public record. Just look it up
@Billy Mooney: the red thumb gardai are in again … my good name is still good ..but the gardai force is now talked as being very corrupt ..get it lets have many more whistle blowers to tell of the corruption
It is vitally important that the Gardai down tools on Friday. They are now in a position to force the government to deal with the unjust FEMPI legislation that is crippling public sector workers everywhere. Demand the removal of the Pension levy and a proper set out time for full pay restoration. The teachers. In the same position that a closer of schools up the pressure on government. To both unions.you have the backing of all your fellow public sector workers. Fair pay for all
Well said!
Agree.
Good God. Must be great to be living on planet Public Sector. 16.5% pay increases, million euro pensions for buttons, unsackable, annual increments, early retirement.
What the hell is a million euro pension exactly?
And early retirement? A garda is contracted for 30 years service and cannot retire until after that. A number of gardai have taken actions to get this extended and all lost so where the hell do you get early retirement out of?
Despite idiots like Pascal and Leo seemingly trying to speak for me in saying the public will never look at the Guards the same if they take industrial action, I fully support them in they quest to get what they’re looking for. I think more support them that don’t support them in my opinion despite what the government are trying to spin.
Shock horror.
I’m more familiar with the teacher dispute, the newspapers and radio shows are churning out Gov lies and spin. It’s worrying to see how biased and in the pocket of the Gov media outlets are in this country.
Compare the easy questioning pro gov reps and ministers get compared to the unions.
The Gardai were largely spared this spin until now as the Gov wanted to do a deal as opposed to one with the teachers, maybe they figured they could buy the Gardai off easier?
It would be hard to find a time when this gov is not spreading misinformation. They’re prolific at it.
Why don’t the government just give in to all the public sector Unions demands now and be done with it. It’s going to happened one way or the other anyway because they’re weak. We can then raise the money for these extortionate pay rises by introducing a mini budget in the spring thus to screw us tax payers even more.
The public sector are tax payers too
I don’t think I suggested they’re not. However if their wages go up by say€100 a week and everyone (except the low paid workers who never pay anything) taxes go up by €20 per week sure it’s a win for the public sector workers.
@mickmc: Do you not agree that the Guards deserve pay resoration/increases???
@mickmc: restoration*
Mickmc. Everyone pays tax in one form or another even the low payed.
@Dave Murray. Perhaps the guards and only the guards when the country can afford it. As it stands before any wages increases are introduced the country still spending more than it’s taking in in taxes. I heard an estimate of €2.4 billion would be needed to give in to the union demands. That money doesn’t grow on tree’s so it either got from increase in taxes or an increase in borrowing. Wouldn’t it be a lot easier for them to just stand their ground and say no.
@mickmc: You’ve no problem with your taxes going to quangoes, cronies, ministers salaries, corporate or Dennis’s welfare.
Anyone else and you have a hissy fit.
Paid.
How do you figure that one out Dave. Where did I suggest that??
@Dave Doyle. Still waiting on your evidence that I no problem with my taxes to quangoes, cronies minister salaries etc. You were quick enough throwing out the allegation but not too quick backing up your statement with evidence.
@mickmc: I’m working, can’t just sit here. Go look at your comments re unemployed, SW recipients, homeless etc.
So in other words you have no evidence. Your apology is accepted.
@mickmc: You assume a lot, dont you?
You’d be the expert on assumption.
Every shite hawk and his mother looking for ‘evidence’ now…. Ask me bollix
Well if their wages go up 100pw they’ll be giving 50 back between paye, prsi, usc, and Pension levy
Misinformation??? They have done it on the governments behalf on protesters. Be it the number of protesters demonstrating, or what happens at water meter installations.
A bit late to start whinging about it now.
The GRA are in the goverments pocket, always were always will. There spouses even get a little gift every Christmas as a thank you for a job well done. They gardai never really got pay rises instead allowances were given, it was far easier to remove allowances than force gardai to take a pay cut. The strangest thing was the GRA calling this strike and the reason is not quite clear, either a revolt by rank & file against the executive committee of the GRA or the universe has turned 180 and the GRA for once stood up for its members, we will never know the truth. If these talks end up with the return of the allowances instead of a proper pay scale for gardai then history will repeat itself. The AGSI are really to small of a union to make any difference if the GRA folds than the AGSI will have to follow suit. this strike was called over six weeks ago but talks are only now taking place four days out. The goverment are under so little pressure that they are already falling over each other to talk to the media when the talks have not even started.
Maybe if they were to become a proper police force instead of a virtual gang who are answerable to no one, then they might get the respect and pay they feel they’re worth
Pot calling the kettle black lol, Garda McCabe should be able to help you with misinformation
reduce the price of a pint in coppers, jobs oxo!
The gardai have a fantastic pay deal conspired to English police but we have weak goverment so the gardai win every time
685uro a week pension is pretty good for a sargent
have your say