GARDAI from all ranks in Donegal are taking to the streets in protest at cuts – with some officers demanding a week-long ‘blue flu’.
Members of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) from Donegal have confirmed to Donegal Daily that they will join the 24/7 Frontline Services Alliance national rally on Monday in Dublin.
They will join members of the Garda Representative Association from Donegal.
The rally has been organised to highlight frontline workers opposition to government proposals to cut their pay.
24/7 Frontline Services Alliance represents 70,000 workers made up of members from the AGSI; Garda Representative Association (GRA); Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO); Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) and the Prison Officers Association (POA). It represents 70,000 members nationwide.
The rally takes place in the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght, at 6pm on Monday.
General Secretary of the AGSI John Redmond told Donegal Daily the campaign to protect frontline workers pay is also a campaign to protect service delivery to members of the public.
“A further cut in pay of over 10% to our members and our colleagues in other frontline jobs will have a detrimental effect on morale,” said Redmond.
“They have already taken a 25% cut over the last four years and their workloads have increased with the ban on recruitment and the ever-increasing number of retirements. Ultimately service delivery to the public will be adversely affected much to the horror of our members.”
The meeting, will see over 2,000 members come together to agree the next stage in the Alliance’s campaign to protect the income of its members including a nationwide lobby of all back-bench TD’s and Senators which will commence immediately.
Rank and file Gardai have met across Donegal in the past 10 days – all supporting a so-called Blue Flu – where they will all call in sick on the same day.
However some senior Gardai want to go off “on the sick” for a week to get their message across to Alan Shatter, the Justice Minister.
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