Congress of Irish Unions

The Congress of Irish Unions was a confederation of trade unions in Ireland.

This article is about the historic organisation which existed between 1945 and 1959. For the modern trade union governing body, see Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

History

Congress was one of the two governing bodies that emerged after the split in the Irish trade union body the Irish Trades Union Congress in 1945. The split developed under pressure from an anticipated fresh labour-state relationship, and alleged 'British domination in ITUC'. The CIU consisted entirely of Irish-based unions, and retained 77,500 workers, including the members of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union. The aim of the CIU was to create a trade union movement in Ireland which was Irish-based and nationalistic in outlook, in contrast to the more internationalist and socialist ITUC which had 146,000 members. The Government, contrary to expectation, did not legislate against the British unions, and from 1953 encouraged a détente between the two factions.[1] The confederations amalgamated in 1959, becoming the Irish Congress of Trade Unions .

Affiliates

On formation, the following unions affiliated to the Congress:[2]

Building Workers' Trade Union
Dublin Typographical Provident Society
Electrical Trades Union (Ireland)
Electrotypers' and Stereotypers' Society
Irish Bookbinders' and Allied Trades Union
Irish Engineering Industrial Union
Irish National Union of Vintners', Grocers' and Allied Trade Assistants
Irish Seamen and Port Workers' Union
Irish Society of Woodcutting Machinists
Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks
Operative Plasterers' Trade Society
United Ship and House Painters' and Decorators' Trade Union

By 1954, the following unions held membership:[3]

UnionMembership
Automobile Drivers' and Automobile Mechanics' Union1,500
Building Workers' Trade Union1,700
Dublin Typographical Provident Society1,267
Electrical Trades Union (Ireland)2,500
Electrotypers' and Stereotypers' Society83
Guild of Irish Journalists46
Irish Actors' Equity Association210
Irish Bookbinders' and Allied Trades Union1,075
Irish Engineering, Industrial and Electrical Trade Union1,978
Irish Engineering and Foundry Union2,960
Irish National Union of Vintners', Grocers' and Allied Trades' Assistants3,844
Irish National Union of Woodworkers950
Irish Seamen's and Port Workers' Union2,950
Irish Society of Woodcutting Machinists750
Irish Sub-Postmasters' Union1,500
Irish Transport and General Workers' Union148,442
Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks14,697
National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Gas Meter Makers of Ireland300
Operative Plasterers' Trade Society1,300
Racecourse Bookmakers' Assistants' Association200
Regular Dublin Coopers' Society254
United House and Ship Painters' and Decorators' Trade Union of Ireland423

Secretaries
1945: Cathal O'Shannon
1946: Leo Crawford

Presidents
YearPresidentUnion
1945–46Gerard OwensElectrical Trades Union (Ireland)
1947Thomas KennedyIrish Transport and General Workers Union
1948W. J. WhelanDublin Typographical Provident Society
1949Owen HynesBuilding Workers' Trade Union
1950Michael ColganIrish Bookbinders' and Allied Trades Union
1951John ConroyIrish Transport and General Workers Union
1952Walter BeirneIrish National Union of Vintners', Grocers' and Allied Trade Assistants
1953William McMullenIrish Transport and General Workers Union
1954Gerald DoyleOperative Plasterers' Trade Society
1955John O'BrienIrish Engineering, Industrial and Electrical Trade Union
1956Michael MervynElectrical Trades Union (Ireland)
1957Laurence HudsonUnited House and Ships Painters' and Decorators' Trade Union of Ireland
1958–59Terence FarrellIrish Bookbinders' and Allied Trades Union

Source: Donal Nevin et al., Trade Union Century, pp. 438–439

References
  1. Policy concertation and social partnership in Western Europe Stefan Berger, Hugh Compston 2002 ISBN 978-1-57181-494-4
  2. Fergus A. D'Arcy and Ken Hannigan, Workers in Union, p.212
  3. McCarthy, Charles (1977). Trade Union in Ireland 1894–1960. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration. p. 615. ISBN 0902173790.

Sources

From the EMIRE database, which is the online version of the European Employment and Industrial Relations Glossaries

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