News Archive

Representatives of SIPTU and other health sector unions have asked to meet with Department of Health officials over an attempt by the Nurses and Midwives Board of Ireland (NMBI) to increase members’ retention fees from €100 to €150 next year. ‌All...

More than 350 human rights groups, trade unions and political parties from across Europe - including 16 from Ireland - have called for the EU to hold Israel accountable for its massacre of Gaza earlier this year by suspending the EU-Israel Association...

More than 350 human rights groups, trade unions and political parties from across Europe - including 16 from Ireland - have called for the EU to hold Israel accountable for its massacre of Gaza earlier this year by suspending the EU-Israel Association...

SIPTU has urged members in the Nurses and Midwifery Sector to ignore a renewal letter sent by the NMBI, to continue their campaign of non payment of the unfair increase in NMBI registration and to make sure that they attend the protest of the NMBI offices on the...

SIPTU has called on nurses and midwives to stand firm in opposing the demand by the Nurses and Midwives Board of Ireland (NMBI) for a 50% increase in its retention fee. SIPTU Sector Organiser, Kevin Figgis, said: “Our members should not feel...

SIPTU have advised members to ignore a recent intimidatory statement, from the Nurses and Midwives Board of Ireland (NMBI), with regard to the current campaign of opposition to the 50% increase in retention fee being sought by that organisation. SIPTU...

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions on Tuesday, 11th November, called for the restoration of wage-setting mechanisms in key sectors of the economy such as construction, in order to halt the race to the bottom in wages and standards and to restore some...

A recent lecture by Labour historian, Emmet Larkin, to the SIPTU Dublin District Council on the career of Jim Larkin and his place within Irish trade unionism is now available online. In the lecture, delivered in late October in Liberty Hall,...

SIPTU, the INMO, and PNA, on behalf of all of nurses and midwives, are holding a public protest, at 12.00 p.m., Tuesday, 18th November 2014, outside the head offices of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)...

Over 2,000 nurses and midwives, from across the country, attended a protest on Tuesday, 18th November, outside the head offices of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) in Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin....

The SIPTU National Executive Council (NEC) has called for the abolition of the Universal Social Charge (USC). The charge, which was introduced as an emergency measure by the Fianna Fáil - Green Party government in 2011, is a regressive tax which...

Reclaiming the ground that workers have lost during he economic crisis was the theme of the SIPTU Utilities and Construction Biennial Conference held in Liberty Hall on 21st-22nd November. In his first key note speech asDivision Organiser, Owen Reidy, said...

Returning to work following a period of illness or while dealing with the effects of physical or mental trauma can be one of the most difficult periods of a worker’s career. To assist workers finding themselves in this position, Congress is now offering...

SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, has expressed his sincere condolences on behalf of his union at the death yesterday (Thursday, 27th November), of former Mandate trade union official and international solidarity campaigner,...

SIPTU has advised members to ignore a recent and threatening, statement from the Nurses and Midwives Board of Ireland (NMBI) with regard to the current campaign of opposition to the 50% increase in retention fee being sought by that organisation. 

...

An estimated 60,000 people crowded into Merrion Square in Dublin at lunchtime on Wednesday, 10th December, to protest against water charges and the wider austerity agenda. The event, which was organised by the Right2Water campaign and supported...

On Wednesday (17th December) members and supporters of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign handed in a petition signed by over 8,000 people calling on Irish supermarket chain Dunnes Stores to make a public commitment that their outlets will not stock goods...

New Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show a marked rise in the number of industrial disputes during 2013. Last year there were 12 industrial disputes involving a stoppage of work lasting for at least 10 working days or involving 10 or more workers. The twelve...

Strong pillars on solid rock, are the best foundations for any lasting institution. Our dear colleague, Ronnie Masterson, was such an institution. Her seventy year career as an actress, theatre director and staunch union activist will never be...

SIPTU is engaged in a major push to win pay increases across the private sector in order to improve living standards and to stimulate domestic demand in the economy. Addressing the annual commemoration to mark the death of workers leader, Jim Larkin, on...

A Government plan to draft in multinationals to deliver services to job seekers – work which can be better provided by the public and community sector – is to be steadfastly opposed by SIPTU. The Department of Social Protection (DSP) proposals will mean...

SIPTU representatives are involved in ongoing discussions with the management of St James’s Hospital concerning major changes at the institution. These include the opening of a new unit in Inchicore and the building of the new National Children’s Hospital...

Youth workers are a constant presence on the frontline in communities that have had to bear the devastating impact of cuts to services. In response, SIPTU members working in youth groups across Dublin came together a year ago to form the Dublin Youth...

Compaines featured in the SIPTU Supporting Quality campaign have made a massive contribution to the success of Irish food and drink exports which last year approached a record €10 billion for the first time. According to figures released by An Bord Bia,...

Irish academic researchers have collaborated in EU-funded projects with Israeli counterparts who make drones, develop high-tech weapons and engage in “counter-terror” activities with the Israeli Defence Forces and the country’s intelligence...

SIPTU members at the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork (UCC) will undertake a one day work stoppage on Wednesday 26th February during which pickets will be placed on all entrances to the university from 7.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. The move is part...

The group of unions representing workers in Aer Lingus and Dublin and Shannon Airports agreed on Friday, 21st February, to engage in a process of consultation with members with a view to coordinating a campaign of industrial action, in pursuit of a...

Greater income inequality, higher levels of insecure work and the emergence of a ‘two-tier’ workforce pose a serious problem for female workers, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions 2014 Women’s Conference has been told. Addressing some 200...

Greater income inequality, higher levels of insecure work and the emergence of a ‘two-tier’ workforce pose a serious problem for female workers, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions 2014 Women’s Conference has been told. Addressing some 200...

A major push has been launched to ensure hundreds of workers employed on the Irish Water Meter Installation programme receive the pay and conditions to which they are entitled. SIPTU organisers have identified numerous cases of non-compliance by main contractors and...

Taoiseach and Ministers speak out for Irish undocumented in the US, but are silent on the parallel issue of the undocumented in Ireland As part of a decades-old St Patrick’s Day tradition, Government ministers will spend this weekend lobbying US...

Congress General Secretary David Begg has paid warm tribute to the late Tony Benn, whose death was announced earlier today, describing him as a ‘giant of his generation.’ “Tony Benn was the outstanding political figure of his age...

SIPTU activists in the local authorities were told on Thursday (20th March) that the “battle to save water services from privatisation was only beginning” by ICTU Industrial Officer, Liam Berney. In his presentation to a SIPTU Local Authority Sector...

The Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) published its latest Quarterly Economic Observer on Tuesday, 25th March. In it, the economic think-tank examines the extent of low pay across Northern Ireland finding that 25% of workers earn less than the...

Congress General Secretary David Begg has been confirmed as the final speaker for the current series of trade union lectures run by the People’s College. Begg will deliver the closing lecture in the series, on Thursday, 27th March on the theme of:...

Thousands of trade unionists, political activists and members of the public lined the streets of East London along the funeral procession route of RMT General Secretary Bob Crow on Monday, 24th March. As the black horse drawn carriage bearing the coffin of...

On Sunday, 6th April, the Limerick Council of Trade Unions is running a bus tour of the locations associated with the events which became known as “The Limerick Soviet, 1919”. This date coincides with the day 95 years ago when comrades of...

Members of the SIPTU Retired Members’ Section have began work on their new Secure Retirement Campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the issues retired people have to face on a day to day basis as well as highlighting the vital role they play in both...

Survey of 39 leading clothing brands on Irish high-street show they must do much more to ensure garment workers receive a wage they can live on. Today (Wednesday, 2nd April), Clean Clothes Campaign Ireland launched ‘Tailored Wages’ an in depth...

The Irish Congresss of Trade Unions is to host a major economic conference on the way forward for Ireland, on Friday April 11. The conference will take place in The Round Room, The Mansion House, Dublin.  'A New Course for Better...

Over 500 firefighters marched through the streets of Dublin on Monday (7th April) to highlight the threat to the DFB Ambulance service and demand that it is retained. The DFB Pipe Band led the march from Tara Street Fire Station to the City Hall in Dame Street....

The Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) will hold a research seminar entitled ‘We Need to Talk About Higher Education’ in the INTO Learning Centre, 38 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 on Wednesday 16th April at 4.00 p.m. The NERI seminar series...

The Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) will hold a research seminar entitled ‘We Need to Talk About Higher Education’ in the INTO Learning Centre, 38 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 on Wednesday 16th April at 4.00 p.m. The NERI seminar series...

Congress General Secretary David Begg has warned that the “spectre of deflation now threatening Europe could spell disaster for Ireland, causing serious job losses, increasing the debt burden and creating a vicious circle of decline.” Begg was...

Involved in a community enterprise, coop, CE scheme or other form of social enterprise in what’s called the “social economy”? If so this will interest you. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is involved in an initiative with other...

Damien Dempsey to star in aid of 'Buena Vista Pipers Club' Damien Dempsey, and a number of Ireland’s leading traditional musicians, will stage a one-off concert to help fund the visit of an uilleann piper from Cuban to Ireland. Alexander...

Pay increases rather than tax cuts are the best way to drive recovery and protect public services according to Tom Healy, the director of the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI). Addressing a conference organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and...

SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor, has called on the Government to implement a major economic stimulus package in order to increase job creation and develop the domestic economy. Speaking on RTE Radio One on Saturday (19th April),...

Workers at Errigal Seafood in Carrick, Co Donegal, have won a further victory at the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) in relation to attempts by the seafood supplier to implement wage cuts. The EAT has rejected an appeal by the company against Rights...

Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) has welcomed the publication of the Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2014 by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton. The Bill addresses problems MRCI has been highlighting since 2006. In a...

A decision is expected on Wednesday (23rd April) in a case taken against the State by a Chinese man imprisoned since November 2012, when he was arrested for the alleged possession of cannabis plants. The State is accused of ignoring signs of human trafficking...

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions said today (April 28) that workers’ health and safety was not a ‘luxury’ to be dispensed with when budgetary constraints dictated and called for full resourcing and strict enforcement of safety regulations, to...

Congress General Secretary David Begg said today (May 1) that reflating the economy through pay rises and increased demand was the best guarantee of a faster, more sustainable recovery. Speaking ahead of scheduled May Day demonstrations in Dublin, Belfast...

SIPTU Vice-President, Patricia King, has described the approval by the Government, on Tuesday (13th May), of a new law to support the right of workers to participate in collective bargaining with their employers as a “very positive...

Congress General Secretary David Begg has condemned Ireland’s refusal to sign up to the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) announced today (May 6) by 10 EU member states, describing the decision as “yet another surrender to the same forces that...

Ratification of the EU/Colombian Free Trade Agreement will be before the Dáil in the coming weeks. Please add your name to this petition to tell our TD’s & Senators that it is the wrong time to approve this agreement. Murders, disappearances;...

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has described the slowdown in employment growth as “extremely worrying and further proof that Government must now intervene directly to stimulate job creation and boost growth.” Congress Assistant General Secretary Sally...

A ceremony marking the official naming of the Rosie Hackett Bridge, which spans the Liffey between Marlborough Street and Hawkins Street, took place on Tuesday, 20th May. Those addressing the event included Lord Mayor Oisín Quinn, SIPTU...

ICTU President, John Douglas, has called on trade unionists to promote a rally in support of the Paris Bakery workers outside the Dail on Wednesday (4th June) at 1.00 p.m. In a letter to trade unionists, John Douglas, said: “As you are...

Today Paris Bakery workers will hold a rally with supporters outside the Dáil calling on the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to urgently intervene in their worsening situation. The workers are entering their 13th day of their Moore Street sit-in and are owed over...

The tenth anniversary of the citizenship referendum will be marked and mourned by migrants and others outside Dail Eireann next Wednesday. Over the last ten years, the Constitutional amendment approved by the referendum has split families, divided the...

SIPTU is supporting a march and vigil in Dublin on Wednesday, 11th June, to commemorate the 796 children who perished in the St Mary’s Mother and Child Home in Tuam, Co. Galway. The march will begin at the Department of Children and Youth...

Today (Tuesday 10th June) the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation will meet a group of migrant workers and the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) to discuss measures in the Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2014. The Bill aims to address gaps...

Statement from the Paris Bakery Workers: It’s the 19th day of our sit-in and we are finally leaving the bakery! We have just received official confirmation that Revenue are going to step in and wind up Paris Bakery. As our employers Yannick Forel and Ruth Savill...

The Irish Congress Trade Unions on Wednesday (11th June) welcomed what it described as “an historic vote” at the International Labour Conference in favour of a binding protocol that will ensure greater protection globally against forced labour. The binding...

Paper by Jack O’Connor, SIPTU General President to the Labour Party Trade Union Section Seminar in William Norton House on Saturday, 14th June 2014 In the context of the outcome of the recent elections, this paper attempts to address two key...

Labour in Government must insist that there will be no further cuts affecting working families or those who depend on public services in the October budget, SIPTU President Jack O’Connor has said. He said the plan for a further €2 billion in cuts or...

For the first time progressive parties and Independents have come together to agree a programme for the running of Dublin City Council over the next five years. Following last month’s election, which returned a clear majority of left-wing councillors to...

The tenth Quarterly Economic Observer from the Nevin Economic Research Institute is launched today. A €800 million net fiscal adjustment taking account of carry over under HRA and lower public spending arising from water charges. €400 million in additional...

A strike by SIPTU members at Roadstone Woods Ltd facilities across the country has entered its second week with management continuing to refuse to engage in meaningful negotiations. The dispute, which began on Monday, 16th June, concerns an attempt...

In scenes slightly reminiscent of the papal visit to Ireland in 1979 the departure of what the media has styled ‘rockstar’ Thomas Piketty has left a curious void. Was it a temporary mid-summer event to fete the fascinating and seductive ideas of a...

Paris Bakery workers can now access insolvency fund Today the High Court formally wound up Paris Bakery and Pastry Ltd and appointed a liquidator in response to a petition by the Revenue Commissioner. The Revenue Commissioner had intervened after a 19-day sit-in by...

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions today (July 2) welcomed the latest drop in the jobless rate, but warned that unemployment in Ireland remains unacceptably high when judged against average rates across the European Union. Congress General Secretary David Begg...

The government must use Budget 2014 to stimulate demand and inject life into the economy, as new data from the Central Statistics Office confirms continued stagnation and a lack of growth, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions said on Thursday, 19th...

The 100th anniversary of the first food shipment from the British TUC to support striking workers and their families during the 1913 Lockout will be re-enacted on Saturday, 5th October at 11.30 am at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. The Lockout...

Trade union leaders united today (Tuesday, 1st October) to call on all trade unionists to participate in the Dublin Council of Trade Unions Pre-Budget Demonstration on Saturday, 12th October. The demonstration, whose slogan of “Solidarity: an...

The Group of Experts on Action against Human Trafficking (GRETA) on Thursday, 26th September, urged the Irish government to act against trafficking for forced labour and take a victim-centred approach to the growing problem of human trafficking. Despite...

At a ceremony in Dublin on Wednesday (2nd October) officiated by the Lord Mayor Oisín Quinn, campaigners will celebrate the introduction of a new law criminalising forced labour (also known as modern-day slavery) in Ireland. At the event, activists...

Address by Jack O’Connor, General President SIPTU To The SIPTU Biennial Delegate Conference Monday 7th October 2013 Vice President, Distinguished Guests, Delegates, Comrades and Friends, Welcome to this historic room for Biennial...

The arrival of the SS Hare into Dublin was reenacted on Saturday, 5th October, on City Quay. Following its one-day voyage from Liverpool, the ship was met on the Quays by volunteers reenacting the role of the workers and their families to whom the...

The Cork Council of Trade Unions in conjunction with SIPTU, Cork City Council and St. Vincent’s Hurling & Football Club are hosting an Official Road naming ceremony for former ITGWU Cork Branch Secretary Tadhg Barry on Saturday, 5th October at...

In a rousing speech to delegates at the second day of the SIPTU Biennial Delegate Conference, RMT General Secretary, Bob Crow, said his union was committed to “militant trade unionism.” “I won’t stab you in the back I’ll...

Address by Jack O’Connor, General President SIPTU To The SIPTU Biennial Delegate Conference Monday 7th October 2013  Vice President, Distinguished Guests, Delegates, Comrades and Friends, Welcome to this historic room for...

The Director of the Nevin Economic Research Institute, Dr Tom Healy, today warned that what he termed ‘legacy cuts’ may increase the real adjustment in Tuesday’s Budget. Dr Healy was commenting on reports that the likely fiscal adjustment...

The 1913 Lockout Tapestry and historical trade union banners are being exhibited in the National Museum, Collins Barracks, Dublin, from Thursday, 10th October, until Sunday, 17th November. The exhibition entitled ‘Banners...

The "establishment" will meet moves to legislate for workers' right to collective bargaining with "massive resistance", SIPTU Vice President, Patricia King told the union's Biennial Delegate Conference on Wednesday, 9th...

The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has strongly condemned the two murders by so-called ‘dissident republicans’ in Northern Ireland and has demanded that the perpetrators immediately cease their criminal violent acts and...

Over 150 young people protested outside the Dáil on Wednesday, 16th October, demanding the Government does not implement a Budget proposal to cut social welfare payments for under 26 year olds. The protest was organised by the Young Worker’s...

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions said today (October 16) that the Government had made the wrong choices in Budget 2014 and insisted that any investment programme should prioritise the creation of decent jobs to ensure sustainable recovery. At a Post-Budget...

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions on Friday, 18th October, granted an All-Out Picket to Mandate trade union in respect of the ongoing dispute at Wallis Stores in Dublin and Limerick. Congress General Secretary David Begg said that all affiliated unions...

SIPTU President Jack O’Connor will lay a memorial wreath at the Workers' Memorial Fountain in Belfast on Friday, 25th October, at 11.15 a.m. in remembrance of two SIPTU members who were shot dead at work 20 years ago. Belfast City Council...

Youth campaign groups, representing young workers, the unemployed and students protested against proposals contained in Budget 2014 to cut Job Seekers Allowance for those under 26 by forming a 'Dáil queue' on Kildare Street,...

Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist. According to UN figures almost 3,000 trade unionists have been killed since 1986. In the first six months of 2013 at least 11 trade unionists were killed. State authorities are directly...

Following a meeting of SIPTU Dublin Bus Traffic Representatives to discuss the recent developments in the long running dispute about the Dublin Bus Cost Reduction proposals, a notice was sent to SIPTU members in the Traffic Section of Dublin Bus on 30th...

I was deeply saddened to hear today of the passing of my friend and former colleague Patsy Cronin. I had the great privilege of working with Patsy when I was a trade union official in Kerry and we have been friends ever since. He is someone whose opinion I have always...

A SIPTU proposal to extend the number and scope of apprenticeships would make a major contribution to ending the youth unemployment crisis, according to SIPTU Vice President Patricia King. In an interview on RTÉ Radio’s News at One on Monday (4th...

The youth committee’s of the Communications Workers’ Union and the TEEU are urging all unemployed people to publicly reject letters from the Department of Social Protection advertising overseas jobs and attend the Youth Assembly in Liberty Hall tomorrow....

The Bray and District Council of Trade Unions is hosting a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of James Byrne (Secretary of Kingstown/ Dun Laoghaire ITGWU Branch) who died as a result of a hunger and thirst strike during the 1913...

Leading figures from Ireland’s major religious dominations and the humanist community attended a service of remembrance for those who suffered during the 1913 Lockout at the University Church, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin, on Tuesday 12th...

Leading figures from Ireland’s major religious dominations and the humanist community attended a service of remembrance for those who suffered during the 1913 Lockout at the University Church, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin, on Tuesday 12th...