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IN IRELAND AND elsewhere, a new trend is emerging — young workers want to Unionise. This follows decades of a sharp decline of union membership as neoliberalism took hold of the global economy.
The elevation of trade unions as a catalyst for change and a clamour from young people to be part of a collective force for good is exciting and challenging, and unions are responding.
Recent UCD research said 67% of people aged between 16 and 24 years are positively disposed to trade unions. This underscores a significant and growing positive shift in attitudes towards trade unions in Ireland. This is a welcome breakthrough that offers real hope for the future.
This surge in support not only highlights a growing desire for stronger worker protections, fairer wages and improved working conditions, but young workers see unions as essential for navigating tricky workplace situations, guaranteeing people fair treatment and most of all, real respect at work.
In my role in the Irish Second-level Students Union (ISSU), I am seeing an increasing amount of young people wanting to be part of a wider collective on work, on community and on climate.
Young people can join their student council and join their national students’ union for collective representation in second-level schools – facilitated by the Education Act 1998. We can join a union in college that is recognised without question but when it comes to the world of work, young people are confronted with major barriers to collective representation.
Fear of discrimination and victimisation by bad employers for union activity is real. It happens because our legislation on workers’ rights is not strong enough.
This sentiment reflects the changing world of work, where bad jobs, poverty wages, underpinned by a housing and renting crisis, are pushing young people towards taking firm action to change the balance of power in the workplace.
For many young workers, a thriving economy has not translated into anything truly meaningful. This has to change and for many young workers that change starts in the workplace.
We are not only the most insecure and undervalued generation, but we are working under the weakest workers’ rights regime in all of Western Europe. Ireland is the outlier, and we are paying for it.
That is why Unions offer hope to young people and a sense of stability, Unions can be that vehicle of change in work. This is particularly appealing to my generation, who are facing such an uncertain future.
Beyond economic concerns, young workers want their voices heard on social issues like gender inequality, climate sustainability and a just transition in a world getting more and more dominated by unregulated misinformation online, concerning developments in AI and technology.
In my experience, Unions are leading campaigns for better pay and conditions, a better work-life balance for all, having proper mental health supports in place, and environmentally friendly policies that we as a society all stand to benefit from.
Recent high profile and successful unionisation drives in Amazon, Starbucks and McDonalds in America have shown young workers that collective action can achieve real change, even when the odds are so heavily stacked against them.
These victories in the face of big corporations are an inspiration and demonstrate the effectiveness of unions in improving working conditions, winning better wages and making a positive difference in the workplace.
The growing interest in unions among young workers in Ireland must be taken advantage of and is a hugely positive sign that a more equitable future of work is potentially on the horizon.
Most of all, it reflects my generation’s unwillingness to simply accept things as they are and our longing for a voice and vehicle to help us make change happen.
We need stronger legislation to protect us in our workplace.
We need a workplace where we are not afraid to express our views.
We need a workplace where our voice is represented.
We want and deserve respect at work.
Maeve Richardson is the National Student Voice Organiser for the Irish Second-level Students’ Union (ISSU) and a SIPTU member. A new Union campaign organised by CWU, FSU, Mandate and SIPTU called Respect at Work is launching today.
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I quit my union. Useless. Only interested in gender pronouns and housing the universe. All Labour party members too.
@Paul Kavanagh: that is why a lot of people have left Unions. They promote agendas for which they have no mandate from their members instead of concentrating on the pay and conditions of the workers.
@Paul Kavanagh: Ha you’re so full of shyte.
@Frank McGlynn: sounds a bit like this government
@Ian: He is spot on.
I was a Union member for 13 years, I never got a single benifit that fellow colleagues that were non members didn’t receive. On the one occasion I felt the need to avail of the union I was greeted with a stock phrase answer and no support. I certainly will never be joining one again.
@Super Saint: I had the opposite experience and I have great respect for unions. I say good for the next generation who have the guts to stay and thrash out the many issues. They could emigrate and they’re staying put to work for better conditions. More power to them. I’ve seen people treated poorly until the union stepped up for them and future staff. There are still employers here who want to go back to paying a pittance to family members to work 24/7.
Public sector unions are the reason why our public sector is so poor. All they are interested in is extra money without giving anything back in the way of change or more productivity.
@The Firestarter: On the other hand, I see many people who are super organised, juggling with many extra jobs. We should all be able to avail of flexitime, 4-day weeks and working from home. Not only would this reduce traffic greatly, it would cost employers much less. The needless arbitrary pressures to do more and simply commute and spend money are well out of date. Business practices need to adapt to this century, and get away from the dated notions of monitoring a rented building full of uniformed workers who have no life outside working hours and cannot plan ahead.
@The Firestarter: Public sector unions are hamstrung by the legislation they have to follow, legislation that dates back to the 50s. Believe it or not but the way the civil service in particular is run with people being just grades and their role changing at the whim of the ‘minister’ (aka senior management) is a huge part of the problem. If you’re treated as a replacable number who are expected to only say yes sir, why would you put in more work and more productivity. Loyalty and respect has to go both ways. If you feel valued and respected by your work you’ll put in more effort, otherwise you have to rely on individual work ethics which can be a broad spectrum from bare minimum to long overtime.
Change is not coming, union were bought out by taking jobs on boards etc, they don’t bite the hands that feeds them, this generation, don’t know why unions are necessary, 100% employment isn’t when you look for a union, touting for business there. Unions will never again have the power they had, silencing members, who speak up .
@colette byrne: trust me, unions are needed to maintain the balance for workers. Those at the top may have lost their way but its up to the members to take hold if the agenda.
Yes, in the good years, Celtic Tiger and so forth, Government, employers and unions worked together and it worked well. Unfortunately everyone sat on there laurels and union bosses were shocked at the workers reaction when so many were made redundant at that time.
Had the unions been on the ball at the time they could have made a forceful push for job sharing in many cases with no loss of redundancy entitlements should there be no option. This would have left workers with some options.
But make no mistake unions ARE needed if those who do the work are to have a voice and have protection.
The unions need to do more to encourage not just young people but workers in general to join ….
Advertising on main stream media is a must to encourage people to join
Trade Unions are a waste of time & have become politicized. They have forgotten workers & the basic bread & butter issues that affect workers, such as the cost of living. Instead they have concentrated on identity & woke politics. Owen Ready might as well be canvassing for PBP or Labour, every time he speaks. This week Dorothy Mc Ginley of the INTO spoke about the Far Right being the big issue, yet teachers are leaving in droves, there is still the two tier pay system & kids can’t get places in schools & special needs kids left without services. Principals at their wits end & this one is talking about the Far Right. The INTO have two guest speakers in about Gaza. They Unions are all about politics & raising personal profiles. Don’t waste your money paying subscriptions to them.
@SV3tN8M4: Once the word “woke” is used pejoratively it confirms the right-wing views of the user.
Some amount of posts taken down from this thread since this morning ,censorship of ffg and unions not tolerated by the stale auld privileged 10 %
@Robert Halvey: Cool.
Unfortunately the union at work is the useless performative union so I give it a pass. If one of the others sets up a branch I’ll join.
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