Gardai to protest over roster concerns today

Members of An Garda Síochána are preparing to take to the streets for a protest day over roster concerns.

The Association of Garda Sergeant and Inspectors (AGSI) will stage a protest march today, Monday March 13 to the force’s headquarters in the Phoenix Park in Dublin over roster concerns.

Gardaí were moved to a new roster during the Covid-19 pandemic and the AGSI said “undertakings by the Garda Commissioner (Drew Harris) that we would return to our normal working patterns have not been honoured”.

Last week, the commissioner described the planned protest march as “unnecessary” and “not particularly helpful”.

He said roster issues have been examined for three-and-a-half years and have moved to an external process at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). 

Today, 100 members of the AGSI will take part in the day of action to draw attention to concerns around health, safety and welfares issues relating to the roster.

Representatives from 31 branches along with the National Executive will march to Garda Headquarters where the general secretary, Antoinette Cunningham, and president, Paul Curran, will hand a letter over for the commissioner to outline the membership’s concerns.

Ms Cunningham said the move is a “clear sign of the frustration, stress and anger that members are feeling in relation to their working arrangements”.

“And in particular, given that this roster has been extended 15 times in three years,” she said.