SIPTU
Encyclopedia
SIPTU, or in Irish
: CSTGT (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 Republic of Ireland
, although the union does have a Northern Ireland
branch. Its head office, Liberty Hall
, is in Dublin, and regional headquarters are located in Kilkenny
, Galway
, Cork
and Monaghan
. SIPTU is affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
and to the Irish Labour Party
.
The union was formed in 1990 with the merger of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
and the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland
. The merger was first proposed in the 1950s, and almost happened in 1969.
SIPTU is a general union
which organises across the public and private sectors in Ireland and has large numbers of members working in construction, health, education, transport and manufacturing. In recent years the union has taken a lead in the organisation of migrant workers in Ireland and in campaigning on the twin issues of the exploitation of migrant workers, particularly those from Poland
, Latvia
and Lithuania
, and the consequent displacement of Irish workers from employment.
The union established an Organising Unit in 2004 and its president, Jack O'Connor
, set as his objective the transformation of SIPTU - hitherto firmly committed to a servicing agenda - into an organising union. It remains to be seen how (and whether) a commitment to the organising model
of trade unionism can be reconciled with the union's traditional support for national 'Social Partnership
'.
.
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
: CSTGT (An Ceardchumann Seirbhísí, Tionsclaíoch, Gairmiúil agus Teicniúil) is Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
's largest trade union, with around 200,000 members. Most of these members are in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, although the union does have a Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
branch. Its head office, Liberty Hall
Liberty Hall
Liberty Hall , in Dublin, Ireland is the headquarters of the Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union...
, is in Dublin, and regional headquarters are located in Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and Monaghan
Monaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
. SIPTU is affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Irish Congress of Trade Unions
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions , formed in 1959 by the merger of the Irish Trade Union Congress and the Congress of Irish Unions , is a national trade union centre, the umbrella organisation to which trade unions in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland affiliate.-Influence:There...
and to the Irish Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
.
The union was formed in 1990 with the merger of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
Irish Transport and General Workers' Union
The Irish Transport and General Workers Union, an Irish trade union, was founded by James Larkin in 1908 as a general union. Initially drawing its membership from branches of the Liverpool-based National Union of Dock Labourers, from which Larkin had been expelled, it grew to include workers in a...
and the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland
Workers' Union of Ireland
The Workers' Union of Ireland , later the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland, was an Irish trade union formed in 1924. In 1990, it merged with the Irish Transport and General Workers Union to form the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union .- Formation :The WUI was formed in 1924...
. The merger was first proposed in the 1950s, and almost happened in 1969.
SIPTU is a general union
General union
A General Union is a trade union which represents workers from all industries and companies, rather than just one organization or a particular sector, as in a craft union or industrial union...
which organises across the public and private sectors in Ireland and has large numbers of members working in construction, health, education, transport and manufacturing. In recent years the union has taken a lead in the organisation of migrant workers in Ireland and in campaigning on the twin issues of the exploitation of migrant workers, particularly those from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, and the consequent displacement of Irish workers from employment.
The union established an Organising Unit in 2004 and its president, Jack O'Connor
Jack O'Connor (trade unionist)
Jack O'Connor is an Irish trade union leader.Born in northern County Dublin, O'Connor worked in various fields before taking full-time employment with the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland in 1980...
, set as his objective the transformation of SIPTU - hitherto firmly committed to a servicing agenda - into an organising union. It remains to be seen how (and whether) a commitment to the organising model
Organising model
The organising model, as the term refers to trade unions , is a broad conception of how those organisations should recruit, operate and advance the interests of their members...
of trade unionism can be reconciled with the union's traditional support for national 'Social Partnership
Social Partnership
Social partnership 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 led to increased emigration and unsustainable government borrowing and national debt...
'.
General Presidents
- 1990: Bill Attley and John CarrollJohn Carroll (trade unionist)John F. Carroll is a former Irish trade union leader. He was vice-president of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union from 1969 to 1981, when the became the union's president until its merger in 1990 with the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland to form the new Services, Industrial,...
- 1997: Jimmy Somers
- 1999: Des GeraghtyDes GeraghtyDesmond "Des" Geraghty is a former Irish politician and trade union leader. He was president of SIPTU from 1999 to 2004. He stood unsuccessfully at the 1984 European Parliament election for the Dublin constituency as a Workers' Party candidate...
- 2003: Jack O'ConnorJack O'Connor (trade unionist)Jack O'Connor is an Irish trade union leader.Born in northern County Dublin, O'Connor worked in various fields before taking full-time employment with the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland in 1980...