A trade union is an organisation of workers set up to protect its members’ rights and interests.
Trade Unions in Ireland
Some of Ireland’s trade unions are very large and represent workers from many industries. For example:
• The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (SIPTU) is the largest trade union in Ireland, with approximately 200,000 members from most industries.
• The Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union (IMPACT) is the largest public sector trade union in the country. It has members who work in education, health, local government, the civil service and other public sector industries.
Other trade unions represent workers from a particular industry or with a specific skill. For example:
• The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) • The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) • The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU)
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is the governing body for trade unions on the island of Ireland, with some 800,000 members in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The ICTU provides advice and training to unions and their members and helps to resolve disputes between unions and employers.
The ICTU also represents trade unions at a national, European and global level and is affiliated to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The Shop Steward
The worker elected by trade union members to represent them in the workplace is called the shop steward. The shop steward plays a key role in the relationship between employers and employees and is the first point of contact for a union member who has a problem at work.
