Irish Trades Union Congress


The Irish Trades Union Congress 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 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. 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. 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. In 1900, the British TUC asked the ITUC to amalgamate with it, but this request was rejected.
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 J. P. Nannetti, who liaised on its behalf with the Irish Parliamentary Party.
In 1912, the ITUC established a political arm, becoming known as the Irish Labour Party and Trade Union Congress. 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.
The Advisory Council cut ties with the ITUC in 1945 and formed the Congress of Irish Unions. After long negotiations, the two organisations reunited in 1959 to form the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

Affiliates

The following unions were affiliated to the ITUC as of 1925:
By 1954, the following unions held membership:
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 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

Presidents

Treasurers