The Irish Women Workers' Union was a trade union which was set up at a meeting on 5 September 1911 in Dublin, Ireland. The meeting had been organized by

Delia Larkin Delia Larkin (27 February 1878 – 26 October 1949) was a trade union organiser, journalist and actress, born to Irish parents in Liverpool, England. She was influenced by the activities of her brother, James Larkin, to move to Ireland, and ...

. The union was created because other trade unions of the time excluded women workers.

James Larkin James Larkin (28 January 1874 – 30 January 1947), sometimes known as Jim Larkin or Big Jim, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. He was one of the founders of the Irish Labour Party (Ireland), Labou ...

, brother of Delia, was the union's first president, while Delia was its first secretary. A founder member and activist was Rosie Hackett. In 1911 Rosie was working as a messenger for the Jacob's biscuit factory. The male workers withdrew their labour in pursuit of better working conditions and Rosie was one of the first women to come out in sympathy with them and helped organise the women workers to withdraw their labour in protest. The women were successful and they received better working conditions and an increase in pay. In Dublin a move by management at Jacob's to force three young women to remove their union badges played an important part in starting the 1913 lockout. By the end of the day more than 1,100 women had lost their jobs and the dispute took on a wider significance when their cause was taken up by dockworkers who refused to handle Jacob's goods. The union supported the striking workers and carried out industrial actions of its own, while once again Rosie Hackett helped to organise the women in Jacobs to strike and protest against poor working conditions.

Helena Molony Helena Mary Molony (15 January 1883 – 29 January 1967) was a prominent Irish republican, feminist and labour activist. She fought in the 1916 Easter Rising and later became the second woman president of the Irish Trades Union Congress. Early ...

, an Abbey actor and nationalist, became involved with Sheila Dowling, and with

Constance Markievicz Constance Georgine Markievicz ( ; ' Gore-Booth; 4 February 1868 – 15 July 1927), also known as Countess Markievicz and Madame Markievicz, was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, and socialist who was the first woman ...

helped to organise soup kitchens at Liberty Hall during the dispute. Their friend and co worker was the republican activist Jennie Shanahan. In 1937 the union, led by

Louie Bennett Louie Bennett (7 January 1870 – 25 November 1956) was an Irish suffragette, trade unionist, journalist and writer. Born and raised in Dublin, she established the Irish Women's Suffrage Federation in 1911. She was a joint editor and contrib ...

, objected to passages in the new

Irish Constitution The Constitution of Ireland (, ) is the fundamental law of Ireland. It asserts the national sovereignty of the Irish people. It guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected non-executive president, a bicameral parliam ...

, and were joined by the Irish Women Graduates' Association and others. They noted that: "the omission of the principle of equal rights and opportunities enunciated in the Proclamation of 1916 and confirmed in Article 3 of the Constitution of the Saorstat Éireann was deplored as sinister and retrogressive." The union's membership peaked at 6,000 in 1955, then continually fell until it merged into the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland in 1984.Arthur Marsh and John B. Smethurst, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.5, p.467

Secretaries

:1911:

:1915:

:1917:

:1955: Helen Chenevix :1957: Kay McDowell :1970: Maura Breslin :1982: Padraigín Ní Mhurchú

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irish Women Workers' Union Defunct trade unions of Ireland 1911 establishments in Ireland Trade unions established in 1911 Trade unions disestablished in 1984 Women's organisations based in Ireland 1984 disestablishments in Ireland