Trade Unions in Ireland Essay Sample 

The following essay sample shall highlight the working of the trade unions, the history of trade unions in Ireland, the biggest Irish trade unions, and the aims of trade unions.

The working people or employees have a legitimate right to join any trade union to address the issues related to their employment, pay scale, working conditions, and job security in Ireland.

The trade unions are meant for the recognition of the rights of the employees and negotiation of the terms and conditions between the employer and the employees.

If any employee is being given a particular condition of joining a trade union of the organization or firm on accepting a job offer.

He can either accept this term for working and continue being a member of the trade union as long as he is an employee of the firm. Or else he can challenge this condition to be unconstitutional in the Irish courts.

These trade unions require a negotiating license to negotiate on the employee’s wages and the other conditions of employment as they represent and protect the interests of the members.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is a primary and wide organization that has many trade unions under it representing a range of interests of the members of this organization in Ireland.

The largest trade union under this umbrella organization is Service Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) represents the various public and private sector workers and has the ability to disrupt the public services.

History of Trade Unions in Ireland 

The history of the Irish trade unions dates back to the 18th century when the local societies were established in the cities for the representation of the craftsman such as the bricklayers, printers, and butchers.

From the end of the 19th century, a new trade union was formed which had skilled workers (general workers, dockers, railwaymen) in the organization. It created a specific issue related to organized trade unions that represented the collective interests of the members.

The new unions began to get established in 1907 with the arrival of James Larkin as the organizer for the British dockers union. After two years gap, he established the Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU).

In 1912, under the guidance of James Connolly ITUC established a political party of Irish Labour Party and Trade Union Congress.

In the 1940s the Irish Congress of Trade Unions was established in Ireland which has around forty individual unions under it. It has an aim to act as a collective voice of an organized Irish labour force.

There is a range of different organizations which are functional today in Ireland. Some of them are-

• Communication Workers Union
• Association of Secondary Teachers
• Energy Services Union
• Association of Higher Civil Public Servants
• Forsa
• Irish Taxi Council

Biggest Trade Unions in Ireland  

(1) The Irish Congress of Trade Union is an umbrella organization that includes most of the trade unions in Ireland. It represents the interests of employees working in an organization in the Northern Republic of Ireland. There are 56 unions that are affiliated with the ICTU organization.

The role of the Irish Congress Trade Union includes –

• advancement and representation of the interests of the working-class group.
• promotion of the principles of the trade unions among the members.
• Negotiation of working terms with the government and employers with the trade union members.
• Providing relevant information, advice, and training to the members of the union.
• Regulation of the relationship between the unions and resolving the inter-union disputes.

(2) Siptu which is known as (The Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union) is the largest union in Ireland with more than 2,00,000 members which represents workers from all the working or employment sectors in Ireland. It deals with employers, government, and industrial institutions and has around 130 branches all over the country.

(3) Impact is the largest public service trade union in Ireland with about 57,000 and above members working in it. They belong to the occupations of education, health and civil service, and government organizations. It is spread across 26 countries and is the second-largest union.

Aims of the Trade Unions

The trade unions have influential power over wages, the economy, and issues of unemployment. They represent the collective interests of the members and balance the gap between the employees and employers.

Some of the common aims of the trade unions are:-

Increase in the wage of the members 

There are many industries and organizations which have their trade unions. These trade unions help in increasing the wages of the employees through collective bargaining and efforts and by striking a negotiation of fair play of the wages.

It increases workers’ productivity level in the organization and makes them more loyal to their workplace as they can feel more financially secure and trusted.

Reduction in the inequality of wages

The trade unions have the aim of reducing the inequality of wages among the employees which helps in combating the poverty issues.

It ensures fair and equal distribution of wages to workers or employees which helps in retaining workers’ loyalty to the organization.

Representation of the workers

The trade unions are the voice of the employees or workers in the organization. It helps in meeting the demands of the workers by ensuring their safety of them from any exploitation.

It helps in upholding the various health and safety regulations or legislations. The trade unions give legal representation to the workers for any illegal action taken against them or on unfair dismissal from the workplace.

The counterbalance of the monopsony power

The firms have the monopoly market power in employing the workers and gaining profits from it. Firms with monopsony power and trade unions can increase the wage of the employees and also cause no risk of unemployment.

Implementation of working practice

The trade unions help in the negotiation and implementation of the new working practice that is introduced by the trade union. The new working practice or work culture helps in striking better deals in wages and increasing the level of productivity in employees.  The trade unions can also create a good relationship between the employers and workers in the organization.

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The above sample is written on the Trade Unions in Ireland and the relevancy of these unions in the economic sector of Ireland.

Trade Union Representation QQI Level 5, Trade Union Representative Skills QQI Level 5, Certificate in Legal Studies QQI Level 5, Law QQI Level 5students can read this sample to gain knowledge on writing law assignments.

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