Irish Trades Union Congress
 | |
| Motto | Labor Omnia Vincit |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1894 |
| Date dissolved | 1959 |
| Merged into | Irish Congress of Trade Unions |
| Office location | Dublin, Ireland |
| Country | Ireland |
The Irish Trade 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. However, many felt that they had little impact on the British body, and decided to form their own federation. This met for the first time in 1894. Although some Irish delegates continued to attend the British TUC, their decision to bar representatives of trades councils from 1895 increased dissatisfaction, and the ITUC soon became the leading Irish union federation.[1][2] In 1900, the British TUC asked the ITUC to amalgamate with it, but this request was rejected.[3]
In 1912, the ITUC established a political arm, becoming known as the Irish Labour Party and Trade Union Congress (or Irish Trade Union Congress and Labour Party). The political wing evolved into the Labour Party. Despite the Partition of Ireland, the ITUC continued to organise throughout the island, but tensions arose between the unions based in Britain and with members in both Britain and Ireland, and the Irish-based unions. In 1936, the organisation formed a commission to examine the issue. William X. O'Brien put in a proposal to form ten industrial groupings with no overlaps to negotiate on behalf of workers - in effect, this would have passed existing union activities to ten industrial unions. This and three other proposals were discussed at the 1939 conference, but O'Brien and his supporters walked out and formed the Advisory Council of Irish Unions. This comprised eighteen unions based in Ireland, and accounted for about half the ITUC membership.[3]
The Advisory Council cut ties with the ITUC in 1945 and formed the Congress of Irish Unions.[3] After long negotiations, the two organisations reunited in 1959 to form the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.[4]
Affiliates
The following unions were affiliated to the ITUC as of 1925:[5]
- Amalgamated Engineering Union
- Amalgamated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen
- Amalgamated Society of Slaters and Tilers
- Amalgamated Society of Tailors and Tailoresses
- Amalgamated Society of Woodcutting Machinists
- Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers
- Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union
- Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers
- Ancient Guild of Incorporated Brick and Stone Layers
- Associated Blacksmiths' and Ironworkers' Society
- Belfast and Dublin Locomotive Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Trade Union
- Civil Service Clerical Association
- Dublin Operative Plasterers' Trade Society
- Dublin Packing Case Makers
- Dublin Typographical Provident Society
- Flax Roughers' and Yarn Spinners' Trade Union
- Irish Bakers', Confectioners' and Allied Workers' Amalgamated Union
- Irish Clerical and Allied Workers' Union
- Irish Engineering Industrial Union
- Irish Garment Makers' Industrial Union
- Irish Mental Hospital Workers' Union
- Irish Municipal Employees' Trade Union
- Irish National Teachers' Organisation
- Irish National Union of Painters and Decorators
- Irish Post Office Workers' Union
- Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
- Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks
- Irish Women Workers' Union
- National Amalgamated Furnishing Trades Association
- National Amalgamated Society of Operative House and Ship Painters and Decorators
- National Sailors' and Firemen's Union
- National Society of Brushmakers
- National Union of Life Assurance Workers
- National Union of Railwaymen
- National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Gas Meter Makers of Ireland
- National Union of Vehicle Builders
- Railway Clerks' Association
- Tailors' and Garment Workers' Trade Union
- Typographical Association
- Union of Post Office Workers
- United Operative Plumbers and Domestic Engineers
Secretaries
- 1894: John Simmons
- 1899: Hugh McManus
- 1900: E. L. Richardson
- 1910: P. T. Daly
- 1918: William X. O'Brien
- 1920: Thomas Johnson
- 1928: Eamonn Lynch
- 1941: Cathal O'Shannon
- 1945: Thomas Johnson
- 1945: Ruaidhri Roberts
Presidents
Source: Donal Nevin et al., Trade Union Century, p. 437
References
- ↑ Trade Union: Ireland, EuroFound
- ↑ Terence Bowman, People's champion: the life of Alexander Bowman, pioneer of Labour politics, p.148
- 1 2 3 Joan Campbell, European labor unions, p.250
- ↑ A Short History of Congress, Irish Congress of Trade Unions
- ↑ Irish Trades Union Congress, "Thirty-first Annual Report", pp.168-173