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 The Irish Trades Union Congress (ITUC) was a union federation covering the island of Ireland. History Until 1894, representatives of Irish trade unions attended the British Trades Union Congress (TUC). However, many felt that they had little im ...

(founded in 1894) and the

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

(founded in 1945), is a

national trade union centre A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. In some regions, such a ...

, the

umbrella organisation An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

to which trade unions in both the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

affiliate.

Influence

There are currently 55 trade unions with membership of Congress, representing about 600,000 members in the

. Trade union members represent 35.1% of the Republic's workforce. This is a significant decline since the 55.3% recorded in 1980 and the 38.5% reported in 2003. 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, Patricia King who succeeded David Begg in the position in 2015. John Douglas of Mandate became President of Congress at the biennial conference in Belfast in July 2013 succeeding Eugene McGlone of

Unite Unite may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Unite'' (A Friend in London album), 2013 album by Danish band A Friend in London * ''Unite'' (Kool & the Gang album), 1993 * ''Unite'' (The O.C. Supertones album), 2005 Songs ...

. The president serves for a two-year period and is succeeded by one of two vice-presidents. Congress is the sole Irish affiliate of the

ETUC The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is the major trade union organisation representing workers at the European level. In its role as a European social partner, the ETUC works both in a consulting role with the European Commission and ...

, the representative body for trade unions at European level and of the International Trade Union Confederation

ITUC The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); german: Internationaler Gewerkschaftsbund (IGB), link=no; es, Confederación Sindical Internacional (CSI), link=no. is the world's largest trade union federation. History The federation w ...

Social pacts

Congress enjoyed unprecedented political and economic influence over the period from 1987 to 2009 under the umbrella of Ireland's

social partnership Social partnership ( ga, Pairtíocht sóisialta) is the term used for the tripartite, triennial national pay agreements reached in Ireland. The process was initiated in 1987, following a period of high inflation and weak economic growth which le ...

arrangements. This involved a series of seven

corporatist Corporatism is a Collectivism and individualism, collectivist political ideology which advocates the organization of society by Corporate group (sociology), corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guil ...

agreements with the government and the main manufacturing/services employer body

IBEC Ibec is an Irish business representative lobbying organisation and human resources services provider According to the Standards in Public Office Commission register it is the organisation that is doing "the most lobbying" in Ireland. Ibec is ...

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 democrat Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism. It was conceived as a combination of modern democratic ...

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

Other activities

A "mass rally", organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Amnesty International, and the

Rainbow Project The Rainbow Project is a non-profit organization based in Northern Ireland that promotes the health and wellbeing of the LGBT people and their families in Northern Ireland. The Rainbow Project is the largest LGBT organisation (by number of sta ...

in support of

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

in Northern Ireland took place on 13 June 2015 in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, with a 20,000 person turnout.

Affiliated unions

* Association of First Division Civil Servants * Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants * Association of Irish Traditional Musicians * Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland *

Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1847 in Manchester, it represents workers in the food industry. History The union dates its origin to 1847. The Manchester Friendly Association ...

British Actors Equity Association Equity, formerly officially titled the British Actors' Equity Association, is the trade union for the performing arts and entertainment industries. Formed by a group of West End performers in 1930, the union grew to include performers and sta ...

* Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union *

Building and Allied Trades' Union The Building and Allied Trades' Union (BATU) is a trade union representing workers in the construction industry and furniture trade in Ireland. Forerunners Bricklayers in Dublin appear to have been unionised since at least 1792, and the Old Bodym ...

* Chartered Society of Physiotherapy *

Communication Workers Union (Ireland) The Communication Workers Union is a trade union in Ireland. The union was founded in 1922 as the Irish Post Office Engineering Union, splitting from the British Post Office Engineering Union following the establishment of the Irish Free State. ...

Communication Workers Union (UK) The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is the main trade union in the United Kingdom for people working for telephone, cable, digital subscriber line (DSL) and postal delivery companies. It has 110,000 members in Royal Mail as well as more in man ...

* Connect Trade Union * *

Energy Services Union The Energy Services Union is a trade union representing workers at the ESB Group in Ireland. The union was founded in 1959 as the Electricity Supply Board Officers' Association, and by the following year had a membership of 1,116, growing to 1,80 ...

Fire Brigades Union The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom for wholetime firefighters (including officers up to chief fire officer / firemaster), retained firefighters and emergency control room staff. History The first recorded ins ...

* Fórsa *

GMB Union The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom which has more than 460,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the National Health Service (N ...

* Guinness Staff Union * Irish Bank Officials' Association *

Irish Federation of University Teachers The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT; ga, Cónaidhm Éireannach na Múinteoirí Ollscoile) is a trade union representing university staff in Ireland. The union originated among a group of teachers at Maynooth College, who met infor ...

Irish Medical Organisation The Irish Medical Organisation ( Irish: ''Ceardchumann Dhochtúirí na hÉireann'' ) is a professional association for doctors in Ireland, and is also a trade union representing doctors in negotiations with the Irish government. The IMO was for ...

Irish National Teachers Organisation The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) ( ga, Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann), founded in 1868, is the oldest and largest teachers' trade union in Ireland. It represents teachers at primary level in the Republic of Ireland, and at prima ...

* Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation * MANDATE * Medical Laboratory Scientists Association *

National Union of Journalists The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is a trade union for journalists in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was founded in 1907 and has 38,000 members. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Structure There is ...

National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers The NASUWT is a TUC-affiliated trade union representing teachers, including headteachers, throughout the United Kingdom. The early years 1919–1976; breakaway and the formation of a new union The origins of the NASUWT can be traced back to ...

Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance The Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) is a trade union in Northern Ireland affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. It is the largest trade union in Northern Ireland, with around 46,000 members, and is organised into two ...

National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (commonly known as the RMT) is a British trade union covering the transport sector. Its current President is Alex Gordon and its current General Secretary is Mick Lynch. The RMT is on ...

* Operative Plasterers and Allied Trades Society of Ireland *

Prison Officers' Association (Ireland) The Prison Officers' Association (POA) is a trade union representing prison officers in Ireland. The union was founded in 1947 by prison officers working at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. Although it gradually established branches at other prisons, ...

* Prospect *

Public and Commercial Services Union The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) is the sixth largest trade union in the United Kingdom. Most of its members work in UK government departments and other public bodies. History The union was founded in 1998 by the merger of th ...

SIPTU SIPTU (; ''Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union''; ga, An Ceardchumann Seirbhísí, Tionsclaíoch, Gairmiúil agus Teicniúil) is Ireland's largest trade union, with around 200,000 members. Most of these members are in the Rep ...

(Services Industrial Professional Technical Union) * Teachers' Union of Ireland *

Technical Engineering and Electrical Union Connect is a trade union representing construction, electrical, and technical workers in Ireland. History The union came into existence in 2001, when it was named the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU). It arose from an amalgamatio ...

Transport Salaried Staffs Association The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) is a trade union for workers in the transport and travel industries in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its head office is in London, and it has regional offices in Bristol, Derby, Dublin, Manche ...

Ulster Teachers' Union The Ulster Teachers' Union is a trade union based in Northern Ireland, whose membership comprises nursery, primary, and secondary school teachers and school leaders working in the state sector. It has 6,429 members. The UTU has close links with t ...

Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) is a trade union in the United Kingdom, consisting of around 360,000 members. Usdaw members work in a variety of occupations and industries including: shopworkers, factory and warehouse wo ...

Unison In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. ''Rhythmic unison'' is another term for homorhythm. Definition Unison or per ...

Unite the Union Unite the Union, commonly known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union which was formed on 1 May 2007 by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU). Unite is the second largest trade union in the UK (afte ...

University and College Union The University and College Union (UCU) is a British trade union in further and higher education representing over 120,000 academics and support staff. UCU is a vertical union representing casualised researchers and teaching staff, "permanent" ...

* Veterinary Ireland * Veterinary Officers Association

Former members

* ACCORD *

Association of Teachers and Lecturers The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) was a trade union, teachers' union and professional association, affiliated to the Trades Union Congress, in the United Kingdom representing educators from nursery and primary education to further ...

* Civil and Public Services Union * Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union * National Union of Sheet Metal Workers of Ireland *

Prison Officers' Association (Northern Ireland) The POA: The Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers, also known as the Prison Officers' Association (POA), is a trade union in the United Kingdom. It currently has a membership over 30,000. Background ...

* Public Service Executive Union *

Society of Radiographers The Society of Radiographers (SoR) is a professional body and trade union that represents more than 90 percent of the diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers in the United Kingdom. The College of Radiographers (CoR) is a charitable subsidiary o ...

Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) was a British and Irish trade union, operating in the construction industry. It was founded in 1971, and merged into Unite on 1 January 2017. It was affiliated to the Trades U ...

General Secretaries

:1959:

James Larkin Jnr James Larkin Jnr (20 August 1904 – 18 February 1969) was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade union official. He was born in Liverpool, England, the eldest of four sons of James Larkin, trade union leader, and Elizabeth Larkin (née ...

:1960: Leo Crawford and Ruaidhri Roberts :1967: Ruaidhri Roberts :1982: Donal Nevin :1989:

Peter Cassells Peter Cassells (born 1949) is an Irish former trade union leader. Born in Navan, the older brother of Gaelic footballer Joe Cassells, Peter worked for the herbalist Sean Boylan before moving to Dublin and finding employment at the Department ...

:2001: David Begg :2015: Patricia King :2022: Owen Reidyhttps://ictu.ie/news/new-general-secretary-ictu-owen-reidy Reference

Presidents

Treasurers

:1959: Walter Beirne :1960:

John Conroy Sir John Ponsonby Conroy, 1st Baronet, KCH (21 October 1786 – 2 March 1854) was a British Army officer who served as comptroller to the Duchess of Kent and her young daughter, Princess Victoria, the future Queen of the United Kingdom. Con ...

:1967: Fintan Kennedy :1982: Patrick Clancy :1985: Christy Kirwan :1989:

Edmund Browne Edmund Browne (born 1937) is an Irish former trade unionist. Browne became active in the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU), and was elected as Vice President in 1983, defeating Des Geraghty by a margin which surprised his supp ...

:1995:

Bill Attley William A. Attley (born 5 April 1938) is a former Irish trade unionist and football referee. Born in Rathcoole, Dublin, Attley studied at the National College of Industrial Relations. He became active in the Workers' Union of Ireland (WUI), b ...

:1999:

Jimmy Somers Jimmy Somers (born November 1939) is an Irish trade unionist. Born in Cabra, Dublin, Somers became active in the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU), soon being elected as a branch secretary,Mary Raftery,Labour's Legacy, 1 Decembe ...

:2001:

John McDonnell John Martin McDonnell (born 8 September 1951) is a British politician who served as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2015 to 2020. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Hayes and Harlington since 1997. ...

:2003:

Joe O'Flynn Joe O'Flynn is an Irish trade union leader and former politician. Born in the Fairhill area of Cork,

References

External links

*
Congress – Northern Ireland Committee
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irish Congress Of Trade Unions 1959 establishments in Ireland International Trade Union Confederation European Trade Union Confederation National trade union centres of Ireland All-Ireland organisations National trade union centres of the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1959 Seanad nominating bodies