The Irish Postal Union (IPU) was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

representing clerks, telegraphists and telephonists working in the

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

in Ireland. The union was founded in 1900 as the Dual Workers' Association, and in 1904 it was renamed as the Association of Irish Post Office Clerks. That year, it was recognised for negotiating purposes by the

Postmaster General A Postmaster General, in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters. The practice of having a government official responsib ...

, but the union's journal was consistently critical of Post Office policies and, as a result, recognition was withdrawn in 1909. Following an agreement to stop publishing critical articles, recognition was reinstated. By the 1910s, the union was the only body representing sorting clerks, telegraphists and telephonists in the Post Office in Ireland. Unlike most other unions in the service, it did not merge into the

Union of Post Office Workers The Union of Communication Workers (UCW) was a trade union in the United Kingdom for workers in the post office and telecommunications industries. History The union was founded in 1919 as the Union of Post Office Workers (UPW) by the merger ...

(UPW) on its formation. Once

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

was created, the IPU's members in the state were transferred to the UPW. In 1920, the union renamed itself as the "Irish Postal Union". In 1923, it merged with the

Irish Post Office Engineering Union The Communication Workers Union is a trade union in Ireland. The union was founded in 1922 as the Irish Post Office Engineering Union, splitting from the British Post Office Engineering Union following the establishment of the Irish Free State ...

and the Irish Postal Workers' Union, forming the Post Office Workers' Union.{{cite book , first1=John B. , last1=Smethurst , first2=Peter , last2=Carter , title=Historical Directory of Trade Unions , volume=6 , pag
374
, isbn=9780754666837 , lccn=80-151653 , date=June 2009 , publisher=Ashgate Publishing , location=Farnham , url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldirect0004mars/page/374

References

Trade unions established in 1900 Trade unions disestablished in 1923 Trade unions in the Republic of Ireland Postal trade unions