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Final agreement reached on rosters

2012-02-16 06:33:50

The National Executive of AGSI has ratified the final form of the rosters as agreed in the Westmanstown negotiations involving all staff associations and garda management.
The executive also ratified the terms of the Working Time Agreement (WTA), the principles underlying the agreed rosters.

Both the Core and Non-Core rosters and the WTA can be dowloaded from the members section of this website. A hard copy booklet is being prepared for every member that will include the main rosters and other rosters developed for specialist units.

All rosters are based on five units working a 10-week cycle.

After 80 days of exhausting negotiations the final agreement was reached on Friday, February 17th with some minor final adjustments. The changes were accepted by management and the proposals discussed and agreed by the AGSI at a special executive meeting on Tuesday 21st Feb. Other associations have not advised their positions yet. If the agreement is ratified by all, it will be brought to a meeting of the Garda Conciliation Council at an early date for formal ratification.

The WTA contains the Purpose and Scope of the roster – to be known as the Westmanstown Roster – the Definitions, Principles underpinning the WTA, Commencement, Core and Non-Core Shifts, Rest Days and Annual Leave, Self Care and Health Management, the role of the Garda Occupational Health Department, the Application of the Rosters, Exceptional Events, Definition of Working Time, Daily Rest Period, Breaks, Weekly Rest Period, Working Time Reference Period, Derogations from the European Working Time Directive, Derogations by Collective Agreement, Records, Dispute Resolution, Implementation, Maintenance of Existing Agreements and Review.

The national pilot will commence not before 30th April and will continue until 30th April 2013. Following the pilot there will be a review of feedback and any adjustments necessary. AGSI believes that the rosters represent the best outcome that is achievable under the present circumstances, having regard to managements’ original proposals to introduce a variable shift, four unit system called the ‘reverse country’ roster.

Further information will be available on the members' section of the website.

John Redmond
Deputy General Secretary

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