15.02.10
Jimmy Kelly, the Irish Regional Secretary of UNITE and member of the Executive Council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has called for broad based trade union support of the Garda Representatives Association in its campaign against public sector pay cuts and the pension levy.

“The GRA is being bullied by the state in contravention of every labour law and convention,“  said Kelly, speaking on the eve of a Public Sector Committee meeting of the ICTU.

“The threat by the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner of criminal proceedings against those conducting a ballot of members would be condemned if made in the most totalitarian of states and yet here it goes by with a shrug.”

“The survey which the GRA conducted in place of a ballot has shown an overwhelming majority of rank and file Gardaí in favour of resistance to cuts which strike hardest at those who protect the rest of society from criminality and violence.”

“The whole of the trade union movement should support the GRA in its efforts to secure basic rights of representation and UNITE will be seeking support from the executive of the ICTU for just such support.”

End

Further information:
Rob Hartnett - UNITE Ireland Press Office