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Structures

Representing Workers

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SIPTU is the largest Union in Ireland with over 200,000 members. It is committed to the achievement of economic and social progress for its members and for the country.

SIPTU represents workers in both the public and private sector in almost every industry in Ireland and at virtually every level. SIPTU caters for full-time, part-time, permanent, contract and temporary workers, as well as retired and unemployed members.

While it is true that the size of our membership helps to give us strength and influence, the real power of our Union comes from the active involvement of our ordinary members. Our Union structure has been developed to ensure that every member has an opportunity to make his or her voice heard on every issue. Union members are entitled - and expected - to take part in the discussions and the democratic ballots on the matters facing the Union at local and national level. Of course these rights as a member of the Union carry with them a responsibility to abide by the decisions determined by the democratic process. So once a vote is taken, members are expected to respect the majority decision.

It is this concept of collective action - based on the principle that unity is strength - that enables the Union to act to best effect.

In the Workplace

SIPTU represents workers right across the spectrum of employments in Ireland. For example, the SIPTU umbrella is broad enough to cover nurses, hotel and catering staff, bus and rail workers, miners, aviation workers, fire fighters, tyre makers, professional musicians, town planners, film makers, dock workers, scientific analysts, managerial and supervisory staff, construction workers, security guards, assembly workers, ships' officers and many many more.

SIPTU brings together thousands of people with many different needs at work - but also with many common interests. So the Union's structure is designed to be flexible enough to enable special concerns to be addressed effectively whilst at the same time providing an overall framework that allows the Union to act collectively to bring its full influence to bear on vital issues.

To achieve this, the Union is divided into about 130 Branches of varying sizes. Most Branches are organised on a geographical basis and so may include a diverse range of members in their ranks. But in the larger cities like Dublin and Cork, Branches specialise in representing workers in particular industries or occupations. Some Branches also serve certain categories of members on a national basis - for example, broadcasting staff, energy workers, actors and performers, etc.

The Union's Branches are subdivided into Sections. A Section may consist of all the members in a particular employment. Or, in the case of a very large employment, there may be a number of Sections based on shifts, locations or grades. Alternatively, a Section may include members working in a similar capacity in various small employments in the Branch. The precise composition of a Section will depend on the particular circumstances. In each Section, there are one or more elected Shop Stewards and, in many cases, a Section Committee is also elected each year to co-ordinate Union activity.

The Collective Agreement

In most unionised employments, the terms and conditions of employment are defined by a process of negotiation between the employer and the Union. In very many cases these terms and conditions are formally stated in a written agreement signed by representatives of the employer and the workforce.

The issues covered by this agreement usually include wages, hours (including shift arrangements and overtime), grading, work practices, safety, hygiene and health, holidays and paid leave, maternity leave, pensions, canteen facilities, health insurance, promotion procedures, provisions for participation in Union affairs (including education courses), disciplinary arrangements, procedures for handling grievances, and so on. The precise terms of the agreement depend upon the particular circumstances in the employment. For example, in some cases, the agreement may also cover issues like paternity leave, meal and subsistence allowances, access to creche facilities or a company health service. In other words, anything and everything affecting our members jobs and the way they do it may be included in the agreement.

While most agreements specify the length of time during which the agreement is in force, they may, of course, be extended or renewed - either in whole or in part - with the consent of the two sides. These agreements also sometimes include a pledge on the part of both sides not to resort to strike action (in the case of the workers) or lock-out (in the case of the employer) without first trying to resolve the issue in dispute through agreed procedures.

Where national agreements are in place, their provisions are usually incorporated into local agreements.

The Shop Steward

The Shop Steward (sometimes known as a Section Secretary) is the elected Union representative in the workplace.

The Shop Steward is the first 'port of call' if a member has any kind of difficulty or concern in their workplace. The Shop Steward will try to resolve the issue in a mutually acceptable way. If the Shop Steward cannot solve the problem in discussion with the supervisor or manager, then the matter will be referred to the Union Branch Organiser and to further levels of the Union, if necessary.

The Shop Steward does not have the power to authorise a work stoppage or any other action likely to lead to a dispute - unless he or she has first got the approval of the Branch Organiser. The Union's Rule Book lays down specific procedures for these situations. And, of course, in any event, the initial decision to take industrial action should be the subject of a secret ballot vote by the members concerned.

The Shop Steward plays a vital role in the relationship between workers and the employers. In many cases, personal difficulties between a worker and a supervisor may be alleviated by the Shop Steward. Intervention by a Shop Steward can often prevent a minor irritation becoming a major problem. The Shop Steward is also the vital link in the chain between the members and the Union - keeping members up to date with the latest developments in the Branch or in the Union as a whole - including new membership services and benefits.

To enable Shop Stewards to carry out these important functions, the Union's Education and Training Department provides special courses which equip Shop Stewards with the skills and the knowledge to represent their members effectively.

The National Executive Council

The National Executive Council is responsible for the overall running of the Union and for implementing the policies adopted at the Union's National Delegate Conferences - which meet every two years. The National Executive Council is composed of three National Executive Officers - the General President, the Vice President and the General Secretary - and approximately thirty ordinary members. Under the Rules of the Union, the size of the Executive may vary in response to any growth or reduction in the Union's total membership.

National Executive Council members are elected on a regional basis and the number of Council members each Region elects depends upon the total number of Union members in each Region. These ordinary National Executive Council members are all rank-and-file members of the Union - and every paid-up member of the Union is entitled to take part in electing them. The only full-time officials on the Council are the three National Executive Officers, who are each elected by a national ballot of all Union members. The Union's five National Trustees - rank-and-file members who are elected in a national ballot of all SIPTU members. are allowed to attend Council meetings as observers.

The National Executive Officers hold office for a term of six years while Council members and Trustees are elected for a four-year term. In each case, of course, these office-holders may seek re-election. The National Executive Council meets at least once a month to hear progress reports from the Union's senior officials, to devise plans and campaigns and to decide on the Union's response to recent developments. The day-to-day direction of the Union is in the hands of the three National Executive Officers - the General President, the Vice President and the General Secretary - who supervise the work of the Union's full-time staff in accordance with the decisions taken by the National Executive Council.

The National Delegate Conference

The policies of the Union are decided by the National Delegate Conference - attended by representatives from all the Union's branches and held every second year. The delegates at the Conference receive reports on the progress in various areas of Union activity and set the priorities for the Union's activities for the coming two years. The Union's National Executive Council then set about ensuring the implementation of the decisions taken by the National Delegate Conference. In some cases this may be quite straightforward, but in others it may require a major campaign to secure the kind of progress sought by the Conference.

The policies established by the Conference also provide the general framework for the decisions the National Executive Council may have to take in response to any new developments that may arise during the two years between National Delegate Conferences. On matters of critical importance - like participation in a national agreement on pay and conditions, for example, a Special National Delegate Conference may be called by the National Executive Council to determine the issue in question.

In the Union's Regions, policies on regional matters are determined by Regional Delegate Conferences - which also take place every two years. These Conferences consider reports from the Regional Executive Committees on the Union's activities in the region for the previous two years and map out the priorities for the Regional Executive Committees for the next two years. The Regional Delegate Conferences also offer another important sounding board by which the National Executive Council can measure members' attitudes to developments between National Conferences.

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