Congress
Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Comhdháil na gCeardchumann
Founded1959
HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
Location
Members
  • 602,000 (ROI)
  • 230,000 (NI)
Key people
Justin McCamphill, president
Owen Reidy, general secretary
AffiliationsITUC, ETUC, TUAC
WebsiteRepublic Northern Ireland

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (often abbreviated to just Congress or ICTU), formed in 1959 by the merger of the Irish Trades Union Congress (founded in 1894) and the Congress of Irish Unions (founded in 1945), is a national trade union centre, the umbrella organisation to which trade unions in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland affiliate.

Influence

There are currently 55 trade unions with membership of Congress, representing about 600,000 members in the Republic of Ireland.[1] Trade union members represent 35.1% of the Republic's workforce.[2] This is a significant decline since the 55.3% recorded in 1980 and the 38.5% reported in 2003.[3] In the Republic, roughly 50% of union members are in the public sector. The ICTU represents trade unions in negotiations with employers and the government with regard to pay and working conditions

Structure

The supreme policy-making body of Congress is the Biennial Delegate Conference, to which affiliated unions send delegates. On a day-to-day basis Congress is run by an Executive Committee and a staffed secretariat headed up by the general secretary, Owen Reidy who succeeded Patricia King in the position in 2022.

Justin McCamphill of NASUWT became President of Congress at the biennial conference in Kilkenny in July 2023 succeeding Kevin Callinan of Fórsa. The president serves for a two-year period and is normally succeeded by one of two vice-presidents.

Congress is the sole Irish affiliate of the ETUC, the representative body for trade unions at European level and of the International Trade Union Confederation ITUC

Social pacts

Congress enjoyed unprecedented political and economic influence over the period from 1987 to 2009 under the umbrella of Ireland's social partnership arrangements. This involved a series of seven corporatist agreements with the government and the main manufacturing/services employer body IBEC and the construction employers' lobby, CIF (Construction Industry Federation). It was a classic European-style alliance of government, labour and capital built on six decades of voluntary employment relations regulated by state institutions such as the Labour Court.

For many years the union leaders agreed to dampen pay rises in return for regular reductions in income tax rates. They also negotiated a new system of pay determination for public service employees under the rubric of "benchmarking" using external assessment of pay scales for assorted grades.

The era of Christian democratic style corporatism also saw a dramatic fall in trade union density from 62% in 1980 to 31% in 2007 and consolidation through mergers of many affiliated trade unions.[4] Efforts to launch recruitment and organising initiatives failed to secure adequate support from affiliated unions while attempts to secure indirect forms of union recognition through legislation collapsed after successful legal challenges and appeals by the anti-union Ryanair company.

Ireland's period of centralised 'social pacts' ended in late 2009 when the government imposed pay cuts of between 5% and 8% on public service employees. The joint-stewardship of the state's FÁS training and employment authority by Congress and IBEC and accompanied waste of public and EU funds and excessive spending on directors 'junkets' further weakened the public standing of Congress and its 'social partnership' structures.

In an assessment of the post-partnership situation, Congress general secretary David Begg prepared a strategic review paper in which he identified the increasing weakness of the Congress and individual trade unions being due to "recession and change in the balance of power with capital" as well as job cuts, poor organisation, especially in high-technology companies, and a growing rift between public and private sector employees.[5]

On a more positive note Begg asserted that the ending of social partnership arrangements "liberates us to advocate and campaign for our own policies".[6]

Other activities

A "mass rally", organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Amnesty International, and the Rainbow Project in support of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland[7] took place on 13 June 2015 in Belfast, with a 20,000 person turnout.[8]

Affiliated unions

Former members

General Secretaries

1959: James Larkin Jnr[19]
1960: Leo Crawford and Ruaidhri Roberts[19]
1967: Ruaidhri Roberts[19]
1982: Donal Nevin[19]
1989: Peter Cassells[19]
2001: David Begg[19]
2015: Patricia King[19]
2022: Owen Reidy[20]

Presidents

Year President Union
1959 John Conroy Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1960 James Larkin Jnr Workers' Union of Ireland
1961 Norman Kennedy Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union
1962 Billy Fitzpatrick Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks
1963 Jack Macgougan National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers
1964 Charles McCarthy Vocational Teachers' Association
1965 Dominick Murphy Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
1966 Fintan Kennedy Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1967 Bob Thompson General and Municipal Workers' Union
1968 John Conroy Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1969 Jimmy Dunne Marine Port and General Workers' Union
1970 James Morrow Amalgamated Union of Engineering and Foundry Workers
1971 Maurice Cosgrave Post Office Workers' Union
1972 Jim Cox Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers
1972–73 Stephen McGonagle Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1974 Denis Larkin Workers' Union of Ireland
1975 Andy Barr National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers
1976 Matt Griffin Irish National Teachers' Organisation
1977 Brendan Harkin Northern Ireland Civil Service Alliance
1977–78 John Mulhall Irish National Painters' and Decorators' Trade Union
1979 Harold O'Sullivan Local Government and Public Services Union
1980 Jack Curlis General and Municipal Workers' Union
1981 Dan Murphy Civil Service Executive Union
1982 David Wylie Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
1983 Paddy Cardiff Federated Workers' Union of Ireland
1984 James Graham Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers
1985 Matt Merrigan Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union
1986 Jim McCusker Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance
1987 John Carroll Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1988 William Wallace National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers
1989 Gerry Quigley Irish National Teachers' Organisation
1990 Jimmy Blair Amalgamated Engineering Union
1991 Christy Kirwan SIPTU
1991–93 Tom Douglas GMB Union
1993–95 Phil Flynn Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union
1995–97 John Freeman Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union
1997–99 Edmund Browne SIPTU
1999–2001 Inez McCormack UNISON
2001–03 Joe O'Toole Irish National Teachers' Organisation
2003–05 Brendan Mackin Amicus
2005–07 Peter McLoone Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union
2007–09 Patricia McKeown UNISON
2009–11 Jack O'Connor SIPTU
2011–13 Eugene McGlone Unite
2013–15 John Douglas Mandate
2015–17 Brian Campfield Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance
2017–19 Sheila Nunan Irish National Teachers' Organisation
2019–21 Gerry Murphy Irish National Teachers' Organisation
2021–23 Kevin Callinan Fórsa
2023–25 Justin McCamphill NASUWT

Treasurers

1959: Walter Beirne
1960: John Conroy
1967: Fintan Kennedy
1982: Patrick Clancy
1985: Christy Kirwan
1989: Edmund Browne
1995: Bill Attley
1999: Jimmy Somers
2001: John McDonnell
2003: Joe O'Flynn
2019: Joe Cunningham

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Affiliated Unions & Trades Councils". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  2. ↑ Visser, Jelle (January 2009). "ICTWSS: Database on Institutional Characteristics of Trade Unions, Wage Setting, State Intervention and Social Pacts in 34 countries between 1960 and 2007". Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS), University of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  3. ↑ "The state of trade unionism". eurofound.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 2 March 2007.
  4. ↑ "Membership down to 31% of workers, notes CSO". The Irish Times. Dublin. 25 January 2010. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  5. ↑ "Searching for answers in wake of collapsed partnership". The Irish Times. Dublin. 25 January 2010. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  6. ↑ "Congress starts internal analysis of collapse of partnership, role of unions". Industrial Relations News. 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  7. ↑ McDonald, Henry (24 May 2015). "Northern Ireland under pressure after Irish gay marriage referendum win". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions will join Amnesty International and gay rights group the Rainbow Project to hold a mass rally in support of equal marriage rights on 13 June, while a legal test case has also been lodged with Belfast's courts.
  8. ↑ "Thousands attend same-sex marriage rally in Belfast". RTÉ News. 13 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Other Public Service Unions". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Other Unions". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Teachers Unions". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 28 February 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  12. 1 2 "Other Industry Unions". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Electrical Engineering and Construction Unions". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 28 July 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  14. 1 2 "Postal and Telecommunications Unions". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 6 March 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Professional and White Collar Unions". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  16. 1 2 3 "General Unionns". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Distribution Retail and Transport Unions". Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  18. ↑ "Unions | ICTU".
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Constitution and Standing Orders" (PDF). Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2011.
  20. ↑ "New General Secretary of ICTU is Owen Reidy". ICTU. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
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