Print union members transfers on hold

In spring 2003, a 'truce' was called in a membership transfer dispute between Ireland’s largest trade union, the Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), and the UK-based Graphical, Paper and Media Union (GPMU).

In early 2003, almost 1,900 members of the UK-based Graphical, Paper and Media Union (GPMU) applied to join the Irish Print Group (IPG), which was formerly the Irish Print Union, but is now an autonomous division within the Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), Ireland's largest union (IE0303204N). This represented the vast majority of GPMU’s two largest branches in the Republic of Ireland, those for Dublin/Wicklow and Munster. The other branch in the Republic, Three Provinces, and the Ulster Counties branch were unaffected by the move. GPMU responded by making a 'strong complaint' to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) over what it alleged were SIPTU’s 'unhelpful and divisive activities'.

Several months later, a 'truce' was agreed in the membership transfer dispute. This means that the transfer of any GPMU members to SIPTU is on hold until the future direction of GPMU has become clear. Under the terms of the 'truce' deal, which was brokered by the general secretary of ICTU, David Begg, two GPMU officials in Dublin and Munster, who had been suspended without pay, are to be reinstated.

One of the main issues behind the mass transfer application had been the strong prospect of a merger between the GPMU and another British union, possibly the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) or the Amicus craft and professional workers' union. GPMU has been in financial difficulties for some time and its future viability as an independent union has been questioned. The 1,900 dissenting Irish members wanted to remain in a dedicated print workers' union and saw IPG as the closest thing to this that would be available to them if GPMU merged with a larger UK non-print union.

The new ICTU-brokered deal – set out in the form of 'suggestions' to the two unions - provides that SIPTU will not take any further action to process the membership applications already made to it and will withdraw a complaint it had made against GPMU. The deal also states that if a merger between GPMU and another union takes place, both GPMU and SIPTU will revisit the matter of the transfer, once the ballot on the merger has been completed, but before final legal endorsement of the merger.

At this point, the issue will be 'revisited' and if a majority of members in the Dublin/Wicklow and Munster GPMU branches still wish to join IPG/SIPTU, the two unions should 'endeavour to negotiate an arrangement to facilitate this'. During any merger negotiations, GPMU should provide for this possibility of a transfer to IPG/SIPTU and should also allow 'adequate time' for talks with SIPTU before the final legal endorsement of the merger.

The truce document says that it is 'unquestionably' in the interests of the union movement that the members should stay with GPMU, adding that the union is entitled to the support of ICTU and its affiliated unions at 'this difficult time in its history'. It states that 'by dealing with the applications for membership which it has received from GPMU members strictly within the Congress rules, SIPTU has acted responsibly in this matter.'