Irish Congress of Trade Unions

Irish Congress of Trade Unions. An Irish Trade Union Congress was established in 1894. Following the decision in 1912 to create a political party it became the Irish Trade Union Congress and Labour Party, changed in 1918 to the Irish Labour Party and Trade Union Congress, and then reverted in 1930, following the separation of party and congress, to Irish Trade Union Congress.

Even after 1922 British‐based unions (colloquially referred to as ‘amalgamated unions’) continued to account for a large proportion of Irish union membership. In 1944 these affiliated 108,000 members to congress, compared to 80,000 for Irish‐based unions. William O'Brien of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union had already made clear his opposition to the influence of the British‐based unions, taking particular exception to the challenge to the ITGWU of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union, established in 1921. In 1945 he led the secession of ten unions which joined with other, non‐affiliated unions to form the Congress of Irish Unions. In 1959 the rival movements united as the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.