Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors Cite Breach of Pay Agreement 

Complaint submitted to Oversight Body at the Workplace Relations Commission over exclusion of Gardai in final public service pay talks 

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has lodged an official complaint with the Oversight Body at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) over its exclusion from final pay negotiations for its members in December 2020.  

AGSI says they were not consulted at the final stages of the new public service pay deal – Building Momentum: A New Public Sector Agreement – which breaches a previous agreement reached in 2016 by the Association and the Department of Justice and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.  

General Secretary, Antoinette Cunningham says, “AGSI were left with no option but to make the complaint as previous undertakings given in relation to how Gardai would negotiate their pay have been broken.” 

LISTEN BACK: Antoinette Cunningham speaks to Brian Dobson on the News At One on RTE. 

AGSI want to emphasise that this complaint does not relate to money or the pay award in Building Momentum, it relates to a single issue, and that is, the right to negotiate our own Garda pay on behalf of Sergeants and Inspectors.  

Ms. Cunningham says, “it would not be acceptable in any other industry or service that the workers would not have an entitlement to negotiate around their own pay. 

“We entered those pay negotiations in good faith and in the understanding that our right to directly advocate for our members with parity of esteem would prevail. Negotiations, it would appear, were conducted by a small, key group of people, which did not include any representatives from An Garda Síochána and effectively a deal was done behind closed doors, and presented as a Fait accompli to AGSI.”

AGSI have now referred the matter to the Oversight Body at the WRC and have sought their assistance in resolving this matter.