A long-running dispute between the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and rank-and-file gardaí has now significantly escalated, with the scene set for worse in the weeks ahead. November 6th has become the red letter day for both parties, neither of whom is inclined to flinch after their horns officially locked on Wednesday.
The dispute centres largely, though not exclusively, on roster-related gains made by Garda members during the pandemic. As the first surge of Covid-19 reached the Republic in early 2020, new contingency Garda rosters were introduced aimed at putting the force on a war footing.
Garda members would work 12-hour shifts in a pattern of four days on, four days off. This was a change to the usual six days on, four days off, worked in eight-hour shifts.
The longer shifts meant rank-and-file gardaí were required to come to work less often. That enabled them to cut down on costs, including fuel for their vehicles – a huge bonus at a time when fuel prices surged.
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And because 12-hour shifts routinely involved working unsocial hours, gardaí became eligible for more allowances associated with working those hours. All in all, the new rosters resulted in fewer days in work, a reduction in costs and increased remuneration – a winning combination rank-and-file gardaí are now very keen to maintain.
On the other side of the dispute is the Garda Commissioner and his senior team. Mr Harris says the contingency rosters were ideal for the pandemic, when crime plummeted because of periods of prolonged lockdown. However, he now says because society has largely returned to normal, the demands placed on the Garda by the public are no longer flat. Instead, those demands surge – depending of time of day and day of the week – as is normal in any open and vibrant society with a booming economy.
Mr Harris has long wanted to bring the contingency rosters to an end. He initially wanted to introduce completely new rosters and embarked on talks with the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI). When those negotiations, over a period of three years, were not successful, Mr Harris abandoned his plan for new rosters. Instead, he announced in July the Garda would revert to pre-pandemic rosters from November 6th.
The AGSI, which represents sergeants and inspectors, welcomed his announcement. The GRA decided to hold a vote of no confidence in Mr Harris and on Wednesday it released the results of that vote: a record turnout of 84 per cent, 99 per cent of whom voted no confidence in Mr Harris. The vote has no official or legal standing. However, it is a devastating blow to Mr Harris and his relations with the GRA, at a time when Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she is hopeful they can hold talks and make progress.
The commissioner has said he will continue in his job and has no intention of resigning. He added his situation was not comparable to the resignation of Simon Byrne from the role of chief constable of the PSNI. Mr Byrne recently resigned after a number of controversies in the force rather than any vote of no confidence by officers.
The Policing Authority and the Garda’s senior leadership team both issued statements of support for Mr Harris on Wednesday, as did the Government via supportive comments by Ms McEntee.
However, the GRA is now set to meet in two weeks in Kilkenny at a special delegate conference, where it will decide on its next course of action, which could include a strike in all but name.
The dispute is now heightened because the key date of November 6th, when the contingency rosters will be abolished, now looms large. It could be a very lively few weeks ahead, during which the need for talks between Mr Harris and the GRA has never been more pressing and the gulf between them never as wide.
