Irish Ships and Shipping
Maritime Articles
1959-2015
The
seamen's union of Ireland (SUI) finished up on the 4th. of November 2015. It
only had 12 members left. The building is now occupied by the Independent
Workers Union. (IWU)
The SUI
was established in 1959 and while it was only a small union it became an
important one during the 60s and 70s.
"In 1951, the Irish Seamen & Port Workers had a signal victory in a wage claim,
having rejected an initial Labour Court Recommendation.
The principle involved in this dispute was that an Irish union successfully
negotiated wages and conditions for Irish seamen, separate and distinct from
British seamen. Seamen were becoming a force in the Irish Seamen & Port Workers
and in 1954, Des Branigan emerged as a new, intelligently focused and
charismatic advocate. The union changed its name in 1955 to the Marine, Port &
General Workers' Union. Branigan's legacy includes the wonderful badge that
bears the silver starry plough and triple knot of Saint Brendan The Navigator
against a midnight blue background. The starry ensign represents Irish socialism
and the navigational safety of members at sea and the knot's Celtic interweave
exemplifies the interdependence and solidarity essential to trade union members.
At Congress Of Irish Union gatherings, Branigan led demands for the proper
development of Irish Shipping. The country possessed less than half the minimum
recommended tonnage of 250,000 tons and no tanker fleet. Norway was cited as
example of a successful maritime policy that not alone underpinned the country's
neutrality and independence but contributed significantly to its balance of
payments.
Branigan's radical militancy offended powerful clerical figures and moves were
made to oust him from the Marine Port, the chosen vehicle being the jettisoning
of the union's seamen's section.
In 1957, a closed shop agreement - always denied to Branigan - was offered to a
new body, the Irish Seamen's Union. This new union was seen by many as a company
union and was opposed in a rancorous and unseemly dispute. Ship-owners in
Limerick and Wexford threatened to sail under the British Flag in order to deal
with the NUS and employers generally openly stated their desire to stamp out
what they called an undesirable element controlling Dublin port. After a
fourteen week strike, matters were resolved by the Labour Court and in 1959 the
Seamen's Union Of Ireland emerged as an independent union acceptable to the men"
(Francis
Devine 2002)
In 1966 the union had a big part to play in helping to bring the B&I from
private ownership to state ownership.
During the late 1960s and into the 70s and 80s the union became the main
recruitment agency for ratings on board the B&I Line and ICL and crewed all of the
company's freight and passenger ships.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Delegates 1970s | P.O'Brien, W.Stacy, F,Gilligan MV Leinster 1970s |
Delegates 1990s | Willie Stacy, Tommy Fay |
In the late 1970s two of the main men in the union Frank Gilligan and Joe Beggs
were among the first in the country to be elected as worker directors .
 |
||
While most of their members were seamen and woman they also had members among
the riggers in RTE and the dry-docks in Dublin.
.jpg)
There are many who have found fault with the union and there maybe some truth in their point of view but there is also a history to be written about how important this union was and how it helped to secure employment for many families during some of the worse recessions of the past 50 years, how they were instrumental in setting up the first permanent pension for seamen ratings, and helping to improve the onboard facilities on all Irish registered ships and I hope that someday that history will be written.
Aiden McCabe 2015.
Back
to Articles and news page