The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has lost confidence that this Government is treating gardai fairly and has decided the next step has been forced by Government intransigence.

The GRA is to ballot members to gauge support for industrial action, the withdrawal of labour -- this decision was not taken lightly. Since the start of this year the Government has made five consecutive attacks on garda pay, and while the GRA has taken every possible step to oppose cuts in pay, we have been ignored.

Abomination

To deny gardai all the reasonable industrial rights of other workers through the law, and then reduce pay and conditions, is an abomination in modern Europe -- akin to the industrial slavery of the 19th century. We have the moral authority to stand against it. GRA members have stayed within the law and abided by the strict garda code. But the Government persists in cutting garda pay, breaching all agreements ever made with members of garda rank. This Government has repeatedly refused to meet the association and has denied us access to an industrial relations mechanism. They have pushed us into a corner.

Our 11,600 members have their voices heard through the 24/7 Frontline Alliance; as a staff association our position is not that of a trade union and, further, we are subject to the Garda Siochana Act 2005, which prohibits many activities. Other public service workers within the alliance structure are balloting their members to gain a mandate for industrial events. We have been denied the right to do so. We do not underestimate the gravity of these statements and we will be advising our members of the possible consequences of their response.

The relationship between the State and members of An Garda Siochana has been based on patriotism and loyalty. From the origins of the force we have maintained our pledge to the Irish people. This has never been in question. However, the core value of the GRA is to fight for pay and conditions of our members.

The majority of our members, over 60pc, were recruited in the past 10 years and are at the lower end of the pay scale. Many bought homes based on their earnings, without any reason to suspect the Government would renege on its terms and conditions. They have already had pay cuts of around €4,300 net.

At the other end of the service scale, senior members are withdrawing their labour in the only way they legally can, by taking retirement when the option becomes available.

The Government has hemmed us in with legislation while punishing us in our pay, without any rights to negotiate. No other police force in the world has been put under this pressure. Any further pay cut will bring us back to the levels we had 10 years ago. Back then we had to have a demonstration about pay because for 20 years we had not had any increases.

Hostility

Our staff association is feeling the hostility of the membership on the ground. We are trying to steer a very difficult line in these very difficult times. All workers must be treated fairly and honestly in any pay situation. Policing is a vocation and we fear the relationship between the state and its police force will be irreparably damaged. If the pay-cut goes ahead, the service the public are getting cannot be sustained. If you pay people less, then they feel their value has been denigrated; they feel they are being treated like slaves. The service cannot be the same.

PJ Stone is general secretary of the Garda Representative Association

- PJ Stone