asked the Minister for Labour the conditions laid down before an organisation qualifies for a trade union negotiating licence; the title and address of each organisation holding such a licence; and their membership.
Written Answers. - Trade Union Licences.
The conditions to be met before an organisation qualifies for a trade union negotiation licence are set out in the Trade Union Act, 1941, as amended by the Trade Union Act, 1971.
The original conditions governing the granting of a trade union negotiation licence are set out in section 7 (1) of the Trade Union Act, 1941. This section provides that—
"No body of persons shall be granted or hold a negotiation licence unless it is a body (in this Act referred to as an authorised trade union) which fulfils the following conditions, that is to say:—
"(a) that either it is registered under the Trade Union Acts, 1871 to 1935, or, if not so registered, it is a trade union under the law of another country and its headquarters control is situated in the country, and
(b) that it has deposited and, subject to the provisions of this Act keeps deposited with the High Court the appropriate sum".
The "appropriate sum", is set out in the Schedule to the Act. The minimum deposit required was £1,000.
The Trade Union Act, 1971, imposed more stringent conditions for the granting of a negotiation licence. Section 2 (1) of the 1971 Act provides that, unless it already holds a licence under the 1941 Act, a trade union shall not be granted a negotiation licence unless, in addition to meeting the condition of section 7 (1) (a) of the 1941 Act, it also fulfils the following conditions:—
"(a) that, not less than eighteen months before the date of the application for the negotiation licence it—
(i) notifies the Minister, the Congress and any trade union, of which any members of the body are members, of its intention to make the application,
(ii) causes to be published in at least one daily newspaper published in the State in the prescribed form (within the meaning of the Act of 1941) of its intention to make the application, and
(iii) deposited and kept deposited with the High Court the appropriate sum, and
(b) that it shows to the satisfaction of the Minister that, both at a date not less than eighteen months before the date of the application for the negotiation licence and at the date of that application, it had not less than 500 members resident in the State."
The "appropriate sum", referred to above is set out in the Schedule to the Act. The minimum deposit is now £5,000.
Section 3 of the Trade Union Act, 1971, provides that a registered trade union, which has deposited and keeps deposited with the High Court the appropriate sum but otherwise does not fulfil a condition specified in section 2 of the Act, may apply to the High Court for a declaration that the granting of a negotiation licence to it would not be against the public interest. In the event of the High Court making such a declaration, the Minister for Labour must grant the licence.
Section 2 (2) provides that the conditions governing the granting of a negotiation licence do not apply in the case of a trade union which is formed mainly out of an amalgamation of existing trade unions who were licence holders.
The membership indicated for each trade union relates to the year in respect of which the last triennial return of membership, required of licence holders under section 15 (1) of the Trade Union Act of 1941 was furnished.
Name and Address of Union |
Number of members in the State |
Year to which membership relates |
Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union, 112/113 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1. |
25,761 |
1975 |
*Amalgamated Union of Engineering and Foundry Workers, 20 Great Charles Street, Dublin 1. |
33,644 |
1975 |
Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians, 2 Soho Square, London WIV 6DD, England. |
30 |
1976 |
Association of Professional Officers, 51 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2. |
246 |
1976 |
Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs, 16 Gardiner Place, Dublin 1. |
9,500 |
1977 |
Automobile, General Engineering and Mechanical Operatives' Union, 22 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1. |
3,000 |
1975 |
Building Workers' Trade Union, 49 Cuffe Street, Dublin 2. |
2,260 |
1975 |
The Construction Industry Federation, 9 Leeson Park, Dublin 6. |
1,200 |
1975 |
Cork Master Butchers' Association, 14 Cook Street, Cork. |
46 |
1977 |
Cork Operative Butchers' Society, 55 North Main Street, Cork. |
168 |
1975 |
Cumann Ceoltóirí Sean-Nós na hÉireann, 32 Cearnóg Belgrave, Baile na Manach, Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath. |
345 |
1975 |
Draughtsmen's and Allied Technicians' Association, 5 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2. |
3,390 |
1977 |
The Dublin Master Victuallers' Association, 29 Dame Street, Dublin 2. |
234 |
1975 |
Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and Plumbing Union, 2 Berkeley Street, Dublin 7. |
3,000 |
1974 |
Electrical Trades Union, 5 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1. |
7,122 |
1975 |
Electricity Supply Board Officers' Association, 45 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2. |
2,290 |
1975 |
Electrotypers' and Stereotypers' Society, 35 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1. |
100 |
1975 |
Federated Union of Employers, 8 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2. |
1,957 |
1975 |
Federation of Rural Workers, Pollock House, 6 Gardiner Place, Dublin 1. |
9,023 |
1974 |
Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union, “Fairfields”, Roe Green, Kingsgury, London NW9 OPT, England. |
581 |
1977 |
Guild of Irish Journalists, “Dingley Dell”, Bird Avenue, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14. |
6 |
1976 |
Guinness Staff Association, St. James's Gate, Dublin 8. |
500 |
1974 |
Irish Actors' Equity Association, 37 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1. |
469 |
1975 |
Irish Airline Pilots' Association, 29 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. |
289 |
1974 |
Irish Bakers' Confectioners' and Allied Workers' Amalgamated Union, Four Provinces House, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2. |
3,357 |
1975 |
*Irish Bank Officials' Association, 93 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2. |
16,970 |
1975 |
Irish Bookbinders' and Allied Trades' Union, 20 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1. |
840 |
1975 |
Irish Commercial Horticultural Association, Irish Farm Centre, Naas Road, Bluebell, Dublin 12. |
275 |
1976 |
Irish Commercial Travellers' Federations, Gillabbey House, Connaught Avenue, Cork. |
954 |
1976 |
Irish Creamery Managers' Association, 33 Kildare Street, Dublin 2. |
759 |
1975 |
Irish Electrical Technicians' Association, 2 Berkeley Street, Dublin 7. |
103 |
1977 |
Irish Federation of Musicians and Associated Professions, 63 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1. |
1,417 |
1977 |
Irish Federation of University Teachers, 195 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. |
1,011 |
1977 |
Irish Flour Millers' Union, 85 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. |
15 |
1975 |
Irish Graphical Society, 35 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1. |
1,822 |
1975 |
The Irish Hotels' Federation, 13 Northbrook Road, Dublin 6. |
412 |
1976 |
Irish Master Printers' Association, Dame House, 24 Dame Street, Dublin 2. |
75 |
1976 |
The Irish Municipal Employees' Trade Union, 49 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1. |
2,347 |
1976 |
The Irish National Painters' and Decorators' Trade Union, 76 Aungier Street, Dublin 2. |
1,850 |
1977 |
Irish National Teachers' Organisation, 35 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. |
17,055 |
1975 |
Irish National Union of Vintners' Grocers' and Allied Trades' Assistants, 20 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. |
4,660 |
1975 |
Irish Pharmaceutical Union, 27 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. |
1,609 |
1975 |
Irish Printing Federation, 14 Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4. |
49 |
1975 |
Irish Racecourse Bookmakers' Assistants' Association “Arus Hibernia”, 13 Blessington Street, Dublin 7. |
172 |
1974 |
Irish Society of Woodcutting Machinists, 81 Eccles Street, Dublin 7. |
645 |
1975 |
Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1. |
159,327 |
1975 |
The Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks, Cavendish House, 9 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1. |
15,662 |
1975 |
Irish Union of Woodworkers “Arus Hibernia”, 13 Blessington Street, Dublin 7. |
1,942 |
1974 |
Irish Veterinary Union, 29 Kenilworth Square, Dublin 6. |
679 |
1974 |
Irish Women Worker's Union, 48 Fleet Street, Dublin 2. |
3,320 |
1975 |
Licenced Vintners' Association, LVA Centre, Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. |
556 |
1976 |
Limerick Employers' Federation, Central Buildings, O'Connell Street, Limerick. |
76 |
1975 |
Local Government and Public Services' Union, 9 Gardiner Place, Dublin 1. |
8,057 |
1975 |
Marine, Port and General Workers' Union, 14 Gardiner Place Dublin 1. |
5,868 |
1975 |
The Master Pawnbrokers' Union, 17 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2. |
7 |
1976 |
The Medical Union, 51 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2. |
1,580 |
1977 |
National Association of Transport Employees, 33 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. |
3,400 |
1977 |
National Busmen's Union, 9 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1. |
2,184 |
1976 |
National Engineering and Electrical Trade Union, 6 Gardiner Row, Dublin 1. |
12,942 |
1974 |
National Graphical Association, 29 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1. |
2,044 |
1975 |
National League of the Blind of Ireland, 35 Gardiner Place, Dublin 1. |
310 |
1974 |
The National Society of Brushmakers and General Workers, 20 The Parade, Watford WD1 2AA, Herts, England. |
30 |
1976 |
National Union of Journalists, 11th Floor, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1. |
1,100 |
1975 |
National Union of Seamen, 112 Marlborough Street, Eden Quay, Dublin 1. |
800 |
1975 |
National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers, 75-77 West Heath Road, Hampstead, London NW3 7TL, England. |
233 |
1976 |
National Union of Sheet Metal Workers of Ireland, 6 Gardiners Row, Dublin 1. |
986 |
1975 |
National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers, 7 Eustace Street, Dublin 2. |
2,214 |
1975 |
Operative Plasterers' and Allied Trades' Society of Ireland, “Arus Hibernia”, 13 Blessington Street, Dublin 7. |
1,623 |
1975 |
Petroleum Employers' Association, 8 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2. |
10 |
1975 |
Post Office Officials' Association, 43 Academy Street, Navan, County Meath. |
613 |
1976 |
Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1. |
135 |
1975 |
Pyschiatric Nurses' Association of Ireland, Ballyvaughan, Powerstown, Clonmel, County Tipperary. |
1,117 |
1975 |
The Regular Dublin Operative Coopers' Society, Coopers' Committee Rooms, 22 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1. |
85 |
1976 |
Retail Grocers' Association, RGDATA House, 24 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2. |
2,244 |
1977 |
Seamen's Union of Ireland, 149F North Strand Road, Dublin 3. |
755 |
1974 |
The Society of Dublin Coal Importers, 1-3 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2. |
11 |
1975 |
The Society of the Irish Motor Industry, 5 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2. |
998 |
1976 |
Society of Lithographic Artists, Designers, Engravers and Process Workers, Slade House, 55 Clapham Common, South Side, London SW4 9DF, England. |
293 |
1976 |
Teachers Union of Ireland, 73 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6. |
4,545 |
1975 |
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, 8 Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin 1. |
2,789 |
1975 |
Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians, 35 Lower Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1. |
10,317 |
1975 |
The Union of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Dublin 4. |
90 |
1974 |
United Stationary Engine Drivers', Firemen, Cranemen, Motormen and Machinemen's Trade Union, “Arus Hibernia”, 13 Blessington Street, Dublin 7. |
503 |
1975 |
Workers Union of Ireland, 29 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. |
35,929 |
1975 |
* 32-county membership.