IRISH CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS
| IRELAND |
| IRISH CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS |
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) was formed in 1959 as a result of the amalgamation of the Irish Trade Union Congress and the Congress of Irish Unions . The ICTU is the largest (and the only significant) trade union confederation in Ireland and has affiliates from both north and south of the border; thus it is a 32-County body. 95 per cent. of Irish trade union members are in unions affiliated to the Congress. As of 1992, there are 72 affiliated trade unions, with 52 operating solely in the Republic. However, two general unions in the Republic (the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union and the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union - the Irish wing of the British TGWU) account for 46 per cent. of the total affiliated membership of the ICTU. The ICTU fulfils a number of functions for its affiliated members: besides its Disputes Committee , it produces regular Information Bulletins on topics such as economic indicators, pay settlements, trade union membership figures and so on, it issues guidance on areas such as picketing , and provides information and advice for members on issues such as employment law, collective bargaining , and international affairs, and it provides education and training services. The Congress also plays a major role in national industrial relations , having regular discussions with employers' associations and the Government of the day. ICTU is at present one of the "social partners" involved in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress . In this way it has a very significant role in national collective bargaining.
The ICTU is funded by affiliation fees from its members; the amount of the fee is determined by the number of members affiliated. Until recently the ICTU held an annual delegate conference; this is now held every two years. This conference is the principal decision-making body of Congress, and delegates are elected or appointed from affiliated unions in proportion to membership. Delegates must be members or full-time officers of affiliated unions. The ICTU's Executive Council, members of which are elected at the Conference, is then responsible for implementing the decisions of the Conference and for the management of Congress affairs between conferences. The Executive Council is composed of 29 members with currently four seats reserved for women (this has recently been increased from two). The General Purposes Committee of Congress is responsible for finances, and there is a Northern Ireland Committee for affiliates north of the border. Other important committees include the Public Service Committee .
Please note: the European industrial relations glossaries were compiled between 1991 and 2003 and are not updated. For current material see the European industrial relations dictionary.