David Begg
Born (1950-03-07) 7 March 1950 (age 74)[1]
Dublin, Ireland
Occupation(s)Trade Union Leader (retired) and NGO CEO
Known forGeneral Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, later CEO of Concern Worldwide (development charity)
PredecessorPeter Cassells (ICTU)

David Begg (born 7 March 1950) is a former General Secretary of the main Irish organised labour body, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions,[2] between 2001 and 2015, and later CEO of major development charity Concern Worldwide. In 2021, he was appointed as chairperson of the Workplace Relations Commission for five years by Damien English.[3]

He has also been a director of Ireland's Central Bank (1995–2010), a governor of the Irish Times Trust (2001–2011), a non-executive director of Aer Lingus, a member of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), and of the Advisory Board of Development Co-operation Ireland.

Early life

Begg was born in north Dublin.[1] He worked in the ESB and became active in the trade union movement.

Education

Begg holds master's degree in International Relations from DCU and a PhD in Sociology from Maynooth University.[4] He is an Adjunct Professor at Maynooth University Institute of Social Sciences (MUSSI).[3]

Controversies

After the Jobstown Protest in November 2014, which saw a sit-down protest occur in front of Tánaiste Joan Burton's car, David Begg stated that he believed that Burton's assistant, Labour Party official Karen O'Connell, was beaten and kicked.[5] Some protestors were subsequently taken to court for false imprisonment but acquitted and subsequently charges were dropped against the remaining protestors.[6]

On 13 January 2016 the same Tánaiste, Joan Burton, in her role as Social Protection Minister, appointed Mr Begg as chair of the Pension Authority.[7]

Book

Begg's study of Northern European open economies, Lost in Transition, was published internationally by Palgrave Macmillan in February 2016.

References

  1. ^ a b "Fact File: David Begg". Irish Times. 1 June 2001. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Staff & Executive Council » About Congress » Congress – Irish Congress of Trade Unions". Ictu.ie. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Minister Damien English, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, appoints Dr David Begg as Chairperson of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC)". Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  4. ^ David Begg – Our Alumni Maynooth University Alumni.
  5. ^ "Burton associate 'kicked and beaten' in Jobstown protest, claims Begg". Irish Times. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Charges dropped against remaining Jobstown defendants". Irish Independent. 20 September 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Tánaiste announces David Begg as Chair of the Pensions Authority". Department of Social Protection. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
Trade union offices Preceded byJohn Mitchell General Secretary of the Electricity Supply Board Officers' Association 1982–1985 Succeeded by? Preceded byTerry Quinlan General Secretary of the Post Office Workers' Union 1985–1989 Succeeded byPosition abolished Preceded bySeamus De Paor General Secretary of the Communication Workers' Union 1990–1997 Succeeded byCon Scanlon Preceded byPeter Cassells General Secretary of the ICTU 2001–2015 Succeeded byPatricia King
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