Irish Trades Union Congress
Merged intoIrish Congress of Trade Unions
Founded1894
Dissolved1959
HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
Location

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 impact on the British body, and the Dublin Trades Council had twice tried and failed to form an Irish federation of trade unions. Its third attempt, the Irish Trades Union Congress, met for the first time in April 1894.[1] 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.[2][3] Despite this, the new federation adopted the form of the British TUC, differentiating itself primarily by offering lower subscription rates and lower costs for delegates to attend its annual congress.[1] In 1900, the British TUC asked the ITUC to amalgamate with it, but this request was rejected.[4]

In its early years, the ITUC was dominated by small craft unions. The unions of carpenters were particularly important, while the printers and tailors also proved significant. Several British-based unions with Irish members also affiliated. While initially aiming to include the "land and labour" movement, this was excluded from 1898 onwards, as its organisations were not considered to be recognised trade unions or trades councils. Early issues discussed as the congress included the campaigns for an eight-hour day, for manhood suffrage, and for improvements to pay and conditions. Calls for nationalisation were initially defeated, but were passed in 1898. While delegates votes in favour of establishing a political fund, to support favoured candidates, nothing came of this, although the ITUC did have strong links with Joseph Nannetti, who liaised on its behalf with the Irish Parliamentary Party.[1]

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 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.[4]

The Advisory Council cut ties with the ITUC in 1945 and formed the Congress of Irish Unions.[4] After long negotiations, the two organisations reunited in 1959 to form the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.[5]

Affiliates

The following unions were affiliated to the ITUC as of 1925:[6]

By 1954, the following unions held membership:[7]

UnionMembership
Amalgamated Engineering Union21,486
Amalgamated Slaters, Tilers and Roofing Operatives102
Amalgamated Society of Lithographic Printers288
Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers16,860
Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union40,000
Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers of Great Britain and Ireland1,980
Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers882
Associated Blacksmiths', Forge and Smithy Workers' Society479
Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen1,483
Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen1,216
Association of Scientific Workers59
Association of Supervisory Staffs, Executives and Technicians1,206
Assurance Representatives' Organisation1,201
Civil Service Clerical Association3,600
Clerical and Administrative Workers' Union2,000
Cork Coopers' Society47
Cork Operative Butchers' Society91
Electrical Trades Union (UK)5,453
Federation of Rural Workers1,000
Fire Brigades Union100
Irish Bakers', Confectioners' and Allied Workers' Amalgamated Union5,000
Irish Commercial Travellers' Federation600
Irish Federation of Musicians788
Irish Municipal Employees' Trade Union1,500
Irish National League of the Blind100
Irish National Teachers' Organisation7,414
Irish Post Office Engineering Union1,500
Irish Shoe and Leather Workers' Union3,000
Irish Union of Hairdressers and Allied Workers411
Irish Women Workers' Union6,500
National Amalgamated Union of Life Assurance Workers100
National Association of Operative Plasterers1,011
National Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees492
National Association of Transport Employees3,000
National Federation of Insurance Workers1,158
National League of the Blind of Great Britain and Ireland124
National Society of Brushmakers192
National Society of Coppersmiths, Braziers and Metalworkers360
National Society of Painters3,884
National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives500
National Union of Furniture Trade Operatives2,934
National Union of General and Municipal Workers2,400
National Union of Journalists508
National Union of Packing Case Makers50
National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers1,487
National Union of Scalemakers100
National Union of Seamen1,000
National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Braziers900
National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers6,651
National Union of Vehicle Builders2,000
Northern Ireland Musicians' Association300
North of Ireland Operative Butchers and Allied Workers Association489
Pilots' and Marine Officers' Association200
Plumbing Trades Union3,323
Post Office Engineering Union545
Post Office Workers' Union6,000
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association4,147
Typographical Association2,138
Union of Post Office Workers2,742
Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers6,335
United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders3,656
Vocational Educational Officers' Organisation600
Workers' Union of Ireland25,000

Secretaries

1894: John Simmons
1899: Hugh McManus
1900: E. L. Richardson
1910: P. T. Daly
1918: William O'Brien
1920: Thomas Johnson
1928: Eamonn Lynch
1941: Cathal O'Shannon
1945: Thomas Johnson
1945: Ruaidhri Roberts

Presidents

Year Name[8] Union
1894 Thomas O'Connell Dublin Trades Council
1895 John Henry Jolley Cork Trades Council
1896 James D'Alton Limerick Trades Council
1897 P. J. Leo Waterford Trades Council
1898 Richard Wortley Belfast Trades Council
1899 James McCarron Amalgamated Society of Tailors
1900 George Leahy Regular Stucco Plasterers' Trade Union of the City of Dublin
1901 Alexander Bowman Municipal Employees' Association
1902 William Cave Cork Trades Council
1903 Walter Hudson Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants
1904 William Walker Belfast Trades Council
1905 James Chambers Dublin Saddlers' Society
1906 Stephen Dineen Irish National Federal Union of Bakers
1907 James McCarron Amalgamated Society of Tailors
1908 John Murphy Belfast Trades Council
1909 Michael J. Egan Cork Trades Council
1910 James McCarron Amalgamated Society of Tailors
1911 David Robb Campbell National Union of Life Assurance Agents
1912 Michael O'Lehane Irish Drapers' Assistants Association
1913 William O'Brien Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1914 James Larkin Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1916 Thomas Johnson National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks
1917 Thomas MacPartlin Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners
1918 William O'Brien Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1919 Thomas Cassidy Typographical Association
1920 Thomas Farren Stonecutters' Union of Ireland
1921 Thomas Foran Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1922 Cathal O'Shannon Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1923 Luke Duffy Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks
1925 William O'Brien Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1926 Denis Cullen Irish Bakers' Amalgamated Union
1927 J. T. O'Farrell Railway Clerks' Association
1928 William McMullen Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1929 Luke Duffy Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks
1930 Thomas J. O'Connell Irish National Teachers' Organisation
1931 Denis Cullen Irish Bakers' Amalgamated Union
1932 Louie Bennett Irish Women Workers' Union
1933 Seán Campbell Dublin Typographical Provident Society
1934 Michael Duffy Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1935 P. J. Cairns Post Office Workers Union
1936 Michael Drumgoole Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks
1937 Helena Molony Irish Women Workers' Union
1938 Jeremiah Hurley Irish National Teachers' Organisation
1939 P. T. Daly Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1940 Sam Kyle Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union
1941 William O'Brien Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
1942 Michael Colgan Irish Bookbinders and Allied Trades Union
1943 Michael Keyes National Union of Railwaymen
1944 Robert Getgood Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union
1945 Gilbert Lynch Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union
1947 John Swift Irish Bakers', Confectioners' and Allied Workers' Amalgamated Union
1948 Louie Bennett Irish Women Workers' Union
1949 James Larkin Jnr Workers' Union of Ireland
1950 Sam Kyle Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union
1951 Helen Chenevix Irish Women Workers' Union
1952 James Larkin Jnr Workers' Union of Ireland
1953 Con Connolly Cork Workers' Council
1954 John McAteer National Union of Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Workers
1955 Robert Smith Plumbing Trades Union
1956 J. Harold Binks Clerical and Administrative Workers Union
1957 Norman Kennedy Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union
1958 Jack Macgougan National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers
1959 Walter Carpenter Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers

Treasurers

Year Name[9] Union
1894Patrick DowdDublin Trades Council
1895John Henry JolleyTypographical Association
1898Peter TevenanAmalgamated Society of Railway Servants
1900Alex TaylorIrish Linenlappers' Trade Union
1902George LeahyOperative Plasterers Society
1905Edward W. StewartNational Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks
1910Michael O'LehaneIrish Drapers' Assistants' Association
1913David Robb CampbellNational Union of Life Assurance Agents
1919Thomas JohnsonNational Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks
1921William O'BrienIrish Transport and General Workers' Union
1925Archie HeronIrish Transport and General Workers' Union
1926William O'BrienIrish Transport and General Workers' Union
1930Denis CullenIrish Bakers, Confectioners and Allied Workers Amalgamated Union
1931Luke DuffyIrish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks
1934Seán CampbellDublin Typographical Provident Society
1945J. T. O'FarrellRailway Clerks' Association
1950John SwiftIrish Bakers, Confectioners and Allied Workers Amalgamated Union
1959Dominick MurphyTransport Salaried Staffs' Association

References

  1. 1 2 3 O'Connor, Emmet (1992). A Labour History of Ireland. Goldenbridge: Gill and Macmillan. pp. 57–61. ISBN 0717120163.
  2. Trade Union: Ireland Archived 2011-04-30 at the Wayback Machine, EuroFound
  3. Terence Bowman, People's champion: the life of Alexander Bowman, pioneer of Labour politics, p.148
  4. 1 2 3 Joan Campbell, European labor unions, p.250
  5. A Short History of Congress, Irish Congress of Trade Unions
  6. Irish Trades Union Congress, "Thirty-first Annual Report", pp.168-173
  7. McCarthy, Charles (1977). Trade Union in Ireland 18941960. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration. pp. 615–617. ISBN 0902173790.
  8. Donal Nevin et al., Trade Union Century, p.437
  9. Donal Nevin et al, Trade Union Century, p.441
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