The Workers' Union of Ireland (WUI), later the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland, was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

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 ( ...

formed in 1924. In 1990, it merged with the

Irish Transport and General Workers Union The Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU), was a trade union representing workers, initially mainly labourers, in Ireland. History The union was founded by James Larkin in January 1909 as a general union. Initially drawing its mem ...

to form the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU)."SIPTU celebrates 100th anniversary".
'' Belfast Telegraph'' January 4, 2009

History

The WUI was formed in 1924 as a consequence of the clashes between

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

and the incumbent leadership of the

ITGWU The Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU), was a trade union representing workers, initially mainly labourers, in Ireland. History The union was founded by James Larkin in January 1909 as a general union. Initially drawing its memb ...

, subsequent to his 1923 release from

Sing Sing Sing Sing Correctional Facility, formerly Ossining Correctional Facility, is a maximum-security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining, New York. It is about north of ...

and return to Ireland in April 1923. Larkin, still officially general secretary of the ITGWU, clashed bitterly with

William O'Brien William O'Brien (2 October 1852 – 25 February 1928) was an Irish nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher, author and Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons o ...

, who had taken leadership of the ITGWU, the

Irish Labour Party The Labour Party ( ga, Páirtí an Lucht Oibre, literally "Party of the Working People") is a centre-left and social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. Founded on 28 May 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, ...

and the

Irish Trades Union Congress The Irish Trades Union Congress (ITUC) was a union federation covering the island of Ireland. History Until 1894, representatives of Irish trade unions attended the British Trades Union Congress (TUC). However, many felt that they had little im ...

. During Larkin's absence at the 1924 Comintern congress (and possibly against his wishes), his brother Peter led their supporters out of the ITGWU, forming the WUI. The new union quickly grew, gaining the allegiance of about two thirds of the Dublin membership of the ITGWU and of a smaller number of rural members. It affiliated to the pro-Soviet

Red International of Labour Unions The Red International of Labor Unions (russian: Красный интернационал профсоюзов, translit=Krasnyi internatsional profsoyuzov, RILU), commonly known as the Profintern, was an international body established by the Comm ...

, but during the 1930s gradually entered the mainstream of the Irish trade union movement, being admitted to the Dublin Trades Council in 1936 (although the Irish Trades Union Congress would not accept its membership application until 1945). In 1941 a new trade union bill was published by the Government. Inspired by an internal trade union restructuring proposal by O'Brien, it was viewed as a threat by the smaller general unions and the Irish branches of British unions (known as the 'amalgamated unions'). Larkin and the WUI played a leading role in the unsuccessful campaign against the bill. After Big Jim Larkin's 1947 death, his son

James Larkin Jnr James Larkin Jnr (20 August 1904 – 18 February 1969) was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade union official. He was born in Liverpool, England, the eldest of four sons of James Larkin, trade union leader, and Elizabeth Larkin (née ...

became general secretary, and continued to preside over a gradual expansion of the WUI, including amalgamations with a number of other unions. In 1979, the

Federation of Rural Workers The Federation of Rural Workers of Ireland (FRW) was a trade union representing agricultural workers in Ireland. History Agricultural workers in Ireland had been represented by the Irish National Agricultural and General Labourers' Union, but this ...

merged in, and the union renamed itself as the "Federated Workers' Union of Ireland".

Mergers

Numerous smaller trade unions merged into the Workers' Union:Arthur Marsh and John B. Smethurst, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.5, pp.497-499 :1929: Dublin Regular Chimney Cleaners' Trade Union :1951: Irish Airline Pilots' Association :1953: Assistant Officers' and Superintendent Assistance Officers' Association :1956: Irish Liver Assurance Employees' Union :1960: Player Wills Staff Association :1961: Irish Medical Scientists' Association :1962: Vocational Education Clerical Association :1964: Association of Chief Administrative Officers of Hospitals, Irish Airlines Executive Staffs' Association, Irish Pharmaceutical and Medical Representatives' Association, Voluntary Hospitals Clerical and Administrative Staffs' Association :1965: Aer Lingus Executive Staff Association, An Foras Taluntais Technical Officers' Staff Association, Association of Irish Radiographers,

Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) ( ga, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a statutory independent research institute in Ireland. It was established in 1940 on the initiative of the Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, in Dub ...

Staff Association, Institute for Industrial Research and Standards Staff Association, Guinness Technical Staff Association :1979:

:1983: Irish Agricultural Officers' Organisation :1984:

Irish Women Workers' Union 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. The union was created because other trade unions of the time excluded women work ...

:1987: National Association of Transport Employees, United Stationary Engine Drivers, Cranemen, Motormen and Firemen's Trade Union

General Secretaries

:1923:

:1947:

:1969:

Denis Larkin Denis Larkin (1908 – 2 July 1987) was an Irish Labour Party (Ireland), Labour Party politician and trade union official. He was the son of Dublin trade union leader, James Larkin. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta ...

:1977:

Paddy Cardiff Paddy Cardiff (8 November 1925 – 3 June 2005) was an Irish trade unionist. Born in Dublin, into a family heavily involved in trade unionism, Cardiff left school at 13 and joined the British Army near the end of World War II. He returned to Dub ...

:1982:

Bill Attley William A. Attley (born 5 April 1938) is a former Irish trade unionist and football referee. Born in Rathcoole, Dublin, Attley studied at the National College of Industrial Relations. He became active in the Workers' Union of Ireland (WUI), b ...

References

Trade unions in the Republic of Ireland 1924 establishments in Ireland Profintern National trade union centres of Ireland Trade unions established in 1924 Trade unions disestablished in 1990 1990 disestablishments in Ireland {{Europe-trade-union-stub de:Irish Transport and General Workers' Union

History

Mergers

General Secretaries

See also

References