The Congress of Irish Unions was a confederation of trade unions in Ireland.
Congress was one of the two governing bodies that emerged after the split in the Irish trade union body the Irish Trades Union Congress in 1945. The split developed under pressure from an anticipated fresh labour-state relationship, and alleged 'British domination in ITUC'. The CIU consisted entirely of Irish-based unions, and retained 77,500 workers, including the members of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union. The aim of the CIU was to create a trade union movement in Ireland which was Irish-based and nationalistic in outlook, in contrast to the more internationalist and socialist ITUC which had 146,000 members. The Government, contrary to expectation, did not legislate against the British unions, and from 1953 encouraged a détente between the two factions.[1] The confederations amalgamated in 1959, becoming the Irish Congress of Trade Unions .
On formation, the following unions affiliated to the Congress:[2]
By 1954, the following unions held membership:[3]
| Union | Membership |
|---|---|
| Automobile Drivers' and Automobile Mechanics' Union | 1,500 |
| Building Workers' Trade Union | 1,700 |
| Dublin Typographical Provident Society | 1,267 |
| Electrical Trades Union (Ireland) | 2,500 |
| Electrotypers' and Stereotypers' Society | 83 |
| Guild of Irish Journalists | 46 |
| Irish Actors' Equity Association | 210 |
| Irish Bookbinders' and Allied Trades Union | 1,075 |
| Irish Engineering, Industrial and Electrical Trade Union | 1,978 |
| Irish Engineering and Foundry Union | 2,960 |
| Irish National Union of Vintners', Grocers' and Allied Trades' Assistants | 3,844 |
| Irish National Union of Woodworkers | 950 |
| Irish Seamen's and Port Workers' Union | 2,950 |
| Irish Society of Woodcutting Machinists | 750 |
| Irish Sub-Postmasters' Union | 1,500 |
| Irish Transport and General Workers' Union | 148,442 |
| Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks | 14,697 |
| National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Gas Meter Makers of Ireland | 300 |
| Operative Plasterers' Trade Society | 1,300 |
| Racecourse Bookmakers' Assistants' Association | 200 |
| Regular Dublin Coopers' Society | 254 |
| United House and Ship Painters' and Decorators' Trade Union of Ireland | 423 |
| Year | President | Union |
|---|---|---|
| 1945–46 | Gerard Owens | Electrical Trades Union (Ireland) |
| 1947 | Thomas Kennedy | Irish Transport and General Workers Union |
| 1948 | W. J. Whelan | Dublin Typographical Provident Society |
| 1949 | Owen Hynes | Building Workers' Trade Union |
| 1950 | Michael Colgan | Irish Bookbinders' and Allied Trades Union |
| 1951 | John Conroy | Irish Transport and General Workers Union |
| 1952 | Walter Beirne | Irish National Union of Vintners', Grocers' and Allied Trade Assistants |
| 1953 | William McMullen | Irish Transport and General Workers Union |
| 1954 | Gerald Doyle | Operative Plasterers' Trade Society |
| 1955 | John O'Brien | Irish Engineering, Industrial and Electrical Trade Union |
| 1956 | Michael Mervyn | Electrical Trades Union (Ireland) |
| 1957 | Laurence Hudson | United House and Ships Painters' and Decorators' Trade Union of Ireland |
| 1958–59 | Terence Farrell | Irish Bookbinders' and Allied Trades Union |
Source: Donal Nevin et al., Trade Union Century, pp. 438–439
