ISSUED TO ALL MEMBERS ORIGINALLY BY E-ZINE ON THURSDAY 15 JULY 2021 BY GENERAL SECRETARY ANTOINETTE CUNNINGHAMGood afternoon colleagues,I wanted to update you that after a number of months of negotiations and robust consultations, we have finally established with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that full and equal rights will apply to AGSi at future pay talks by Government, but in particular by the Minister and his officials.Having got those undertakings we are finally in a position to commence discussions and continue our clarifications of the requirements contained in the Building Momentum Pay Deal. You will be aware how important this was to AGSI after our exclusion from vital elements of the National Pay Talks in December 2020.The Building Momentum Pay Deal which is available for you to read here awards a 3% pay deal between October 2021 and October 2022 subject to certain undertakings.The first pay increase of 1% is due on 1st October 2021, a further 1% in February 2022 (subject to sectoral bargaining which has yet to be clarified), and a final 1% in October 2022.Broadly speaking the deal is awarded subject to conditions such as industrial peace, a new dispute resolution process, the undertaking not to lodge any further pay claims for the duration of the agreement, and continuation with the current Garda Reform Programme APSFF. While AGSI is of the view that this pay deal was, to a large degree negotiated in our absence, the undertakings we have achieved and sought should be enough to allow our members to benefit from the deal in line with other public servants. To this end, we will in the coming weeks issue a ballot on the deal, and invite you to vote on it.Having considered the matter carefully the National Executive feel, on balance and subject to some further clarifications which are sought, they will be recommending acceptance of it to our members.I will be in touch again on the issue but I wanted to update you on our current position.
