ORGANISED LABOUR AUGUST 25

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I C T U Biennial Delegate Conference 2025

THE Irish Congress Of Trade Unions (ICTU) held its Biennial Delegate Conference in Belfast from July 1st to July 3rd, 2025.  The Conference drew over 600 Union representatives from across Ireland, as well as international speakers.  The event saw the launch of ICTU’s “New Economic Model”.

The delegates addressed various issues affecting workers, including the need for a living wage, paid sick leave, and flexible working arrangements.  There were discussions on defending workers’ rights and public services and a stronger focus on building a stronger, more resilient economy that benefits workers.

ICTU’s “New Economic Model”

 Other issues debated included:  Surveillance of Journalists, Increasing Statutory Redundancy Rates, Higher Pay for Apprentices, the Promotion of Collective Bargaining, the Protection of Retail Staff from abuse, the Scrapping of the Sub-Minimum Wage for younger workers and Pension Increases.

ICTU also launched proposals for a new economic model designed to end Ireland’s over-reliance on Corporate Tax windfalls.

The model, developed by the Nevin Economic Research Institute, is based on four pillars:  a Productive Economy, Quality Employment, Economic Security, and Economic Resilience.

The plan would see the Government investing in strategic infrastructure, backing Collective Bargaining and supporting domestic enterprise.

“We cannot continue with the same risky over-reliance on corporation tax receipts”, said ICTU General Secretary Owen Reidy.

He said that “now is the time to decide what we want our future to look like”.  Mr. Reidy added:

“Our New Economic Model sets out a clear framework for a productive, stable, and supportive economy, one that places workers at the heart of economic resilience”.

Role Of The State

In his Address to the ICTU Conference, the General Secretary of the Fórsa Trade Union, Kevin Callinan, said Ireland must learn the hard lessons of the Covid pandemic by radically expanding the role and capacity of the State. 

He told delegates that the country will remain vulnerable to future global shocks without a decisive shift in economic strategy and public policy”

“The time has come to reject failed pre-2020 models based on privatisation, short-term thinking, and chronic underinvestment in public services…” 

“These outdated approaches hollowed out the State’s ability to respond to the pandemic, and they continue to undermine our preparedness for the future…” 

In addition to the main Conference, a number of fringe events took place— including a meeting of Education Unions from North and South.  The INTO (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation) was one of the leaders who attended, with its President calling for increased educational and care supports for students with special needs.

Shop Stewards

The targeting of workers who serve as Shop Stewards in companies that do not want to recognise Trade Unions remains common.

A survey, overseen by Professor Niall Cullinane of Queen’s University Belfast, has found that the mental health of those involved suffers.  Almost half of respondents suggested the stress involved impacts sleep, causes a sense of burnout, and makes it difficult to relax outside of work.

Prof Cullinane said there were commonly accusations of hypocrisy on the part of employers—who often argue that workers have no need for representation by Trade Unions when they often employed consultants, lawyers or trade organisations to advise them and act on their behalf—

“There is no other area of business where you would have any form of contract formulated under duress but it somehow seems to be okay for employment relations to be conducted under duress”, he said.

Collective Bargaining

ICTU Campaigns Officer Paul Gavan said 89 TDs elected in November’s General Election—including Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke—had signed a Pledge during the campaign, committing to support legislation that would provide for a right to collective bargaining and representation.  He added that it was time for those politicians to act on that promise—“We have the numbers in the Dáil, we just need to hold those politicians to account”, he said as ICTU announced the launch of a Petition to call for action on the issue.

President

Irish Nurses & Midwives Association General Secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, was elected as the new President of ICTU.  She succeeds Justin McCamphill of the British and Irish Teachers’ Union, NASUWT.

Palestine

The Conference heard that Irish workers need to take action to support Palestinians because the Government and EU have failed on the issue.  

The Conference also backed a wide-ranging motion that included a call on the British and Irish Governments to impose Sanctions on Israel and act to stop the transfer of weapons to the country.

Four-Day Working Week

A four-day working week, pay rates, remote working, and artificial intelligence (AI) were other topics debated.

A motion from the Dublin Council of Trade Unions, proposing the introduction of a four-day working week, called on Congress to seek the support of the Government and of wider society to reduce the 39-hour week to a 32-hour week with no loss of pay for all workers.

Workplace Attendance

On remote working, a motion from the Financial Services Union (FSU) called on ICTU to establish a grouping of relevant Unions to study the effectiveness of the current ‘Right to Request Remote Working’ code and to make any recommendations it deems necessary to ensure the code is fit for purpose. 

Another resolution from the FSU calls on employers to establish Artificial Intelligence adoption frameworks that involve workers and Trade Unions in decision-making.

On the issue of pay, a motion from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) states that the benefits of future public sector pay agreements should be confined to workers represented by Unions:

“Therefore when agreed, the terms and conditions contained therein apply solely to the members of the signatory trade unions,” the motion states.

Maternity Leave

“Irish working mothers are at a significant financial disadvantage“—Conference backed calls for a full year’s maternity leave.

Ireland currently offers employees 26 weeks paid maternity leave.

A demand for a year’s maternity leave on full pay for workers is set to intensify after being backed by most Trade Unions.

It is now official Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) policy, after a motion calling for 52 weeks of maternity pay north and south of the border was adopted by delegates.

The motion said current maternity pay arrangements fall short of international best practice.  Tabled by the British Fire Brigades Union, it claimed there is a “postcode lottery” effect where workers in some regions and sectors get markedly inferior benefits.

Workers and self-employed individuals in the Republic of Ireland are entitled to a social welfare maternity benefit payment of €289 per week for 26 weeks.

Some employers top up the entitlement.

Employers’ Response

Employer group ISME supported measures to provide women with paid maternity leave, but said it should be supported by the social fund. 

“Obviously a year’s salary for someone not attending work would not be sustainable for the vast majority of employers, therefore this type of measure must be underwritten by the social fund,” 

said Irish Small & Medium Enterprise Association (I.S.M.E.) Chief Executive Neil McDonnell.

He said Bulgaria offers approximately 58.6 weeks (410 days) of paid maternity leave.  Mr McDonnell said 90% of the mother’s full salary is paid from its National Health Insurance Fund.

“Employers would not welcome an increase in PRSI, obviously, but if asked to pay for long-term maternity leave, it would be the only way to do so”, he said, adding:

“A creche with four child-minders or a hairdresser with five stylists could not afford to pay someone for a year who was not working.

This is very obvious, and everyone including I.C.T.U. knows this.”

ICTU spokesperson Laura Bambrick said the move would entail a hike in PRSI for workers, the self-employed, and employers.

She said Ireland compares very favourably to EU countries in terms of the duration of paid maternity leave benefits at 26 weeks, continuing:

“But when comparing the payment rates for maternity benefit, Irish working mothers are at a significant financial disadvantage…”

Ms Bambrick said maternity benefit at €289 a week for 26 weeks (€7,514) is equivalent to just over nine weeks’ full pay for the average employee nationwide.  It is worth just under eight weeks for an employee in Dublin, where average gross pay is higher (€49,500) than the national average (€42,100), according to Revenue data.  She added:

“For a full-time worker on the minimum wage (€526), maternity benefit replaces little over half their weekly wage…” 

Ms Bambrick welcomed the Programme for Government commitments on pay-related family leave:  “Unions will be holding their feet to the fire to deliver on these important work-life balance measures for working families”.

A Department of Children, Disability and Equality spokesperson said family leave entitlements have increased significantly over the past years.

She said a “Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families” commits that by 2028, parents in Ireland will be supported to look after their babies at home for the whole of their first year through a combination of paid family leave schemes.

She said the combined durations of maternity, paternity and parent’s leave and benefit now equate to 46 weeks’ paid leave for a two-parent family.

An Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) spokesperson declined to comment.

The newly elected President, Ms Ní Sheaghdha, took up the role on Thursday, the final day of Conference.  She said:

“At a time of grave global uncertainty, Irish workers will need their trade unions now more than ever…  As a trade union movement, we need to be clear that we will not accept the erosion and dilution of workers’ rights.  This includes the denial of a living wage, paid sick leave and flexible working arrangements, particularly as we face the looming threat of tariffs and other economic shocks.”

Other Officers

Also elected to positions on ICTU’s officer board or executive were—

Kevin Callinan of Fórsa

Siptu’s Joe Cunningham 

Kieran Chrisie of the ASTI.