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Hi Natchessman - According to [broken link removed], the sixteen unions listed make up about 80% of trade union membership in Germany, so it looks like your claim of 5 unions was a little exaggerated.When I worked in Germany years ago I believe there were 5 unions for the 40 (or so) million workers .....makes ya think eh?
Affiliated Unions 2004There are unions for all groups of workers; industrial, professional, managerial, clerical or unskilled. Approximately half of all employees are members of unions and 44% of union membership are women! . A detailed breakdown of trade union membership is set down below:
There are 56 unions affiliated to Congress in 2004 with a total membership of 754,899. This reflects an overall reduction of 10,845 over the twelve months period during 2003.
In the Republic, total affiliation was 546,820 in 42 unions. The total represents a reduction in affiliated membership of 3,981. While a number of unions recorded gains in membership particularly SIPTU (+3,011), IMPACT (+1,000), TUI (+804) and NUJ (+618) significant reductions are evident in respect of AMICUS (-8,261), GPMU (-977) TEEU (-673) and ATGWU (-577).
In Northern Ireland, affiliation stands at 208,079 in 31 unions. This number reflects a reduction of 6,883. The most significant gains among unions in Northern Ireland were by NIPSA (+1,824) and UNISON (+1,000). Significant losses were recorded by AMICUS (-5,160), IBOA (-1,360) and ATGWU (-1,167).
Seventeen Unions have membership in both the Republic and Northern Ireland representing 398,060 members or 53% of the total.
Twenty five unions have membership exclusively in the Republic of Ireland representing 244,770 members or 32% of the total.
Fourteen unions have membership exclusively in Northern Ireland representing 112,069 members or 15% of the total
Name of Union Members %
Services Industrial Professional & Technical Union (SIPTU) 227,731 41%
Mandate - The Union of Retail, Bar and Administrative Workers 37,885 7%
Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union (IMPACT) 34,880 6%
Amicus-MSF 32,051 6%
Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) 28,559 5%
Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) 27,241 5%
Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) 21,305 4%
Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) 18,218 3%
Communications Workers' Union (Ireland) (CWU) 17,407 3%
ASTI 16,022 3%
Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU) 13,600 2%
Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) 11,300 2%
Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) 10,197 2%
Irish Bank Officials' Association (IBOA) 10,005 2%
Building and Allied Trades Unions (BATU) 8,565 2%
Public Service Executive Union (PSEU) 6,418 1%
Psychiatric Nurses Union of Ireland 4,285 1%
Graphical Paper and Media Union (GPMU) 4,161 1%
Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) 4,135 1%
Operative Plasterers and Allied Trades Society of Ireland (OPATSI) 3,357 1%
Prison Officers' Association (POA) 2,911 1%
National Union of Journalists (NUJ) 2,807 1%
National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) 2,452 0%
Electricity Supply Board's Officer's Association (ESBOA) 2,057 0%
Irish Postmasters' Union 1,570 0%
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) 1,391 0%
Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) 1,347 0%
National Union of Sheet Metal Workers of Ireland (NUSMWI) 1,140 0%
Union of Motor, Technical and Industrial Employees 1,089 0%
Bakers, Food & Allied Workers Union 854 0%
Guinness Staff Union (GSU) 816 0%
Sales, Marketing and Administrative Union of Ireland (SMAUI) 560 0%
Seaman's Union of Ireland (SUI) 518 0%
Veterinary Officers Association (VOA) 318 0%
Irish Federation of Musicians and Associated Professionals 312 0%
Association of Irish Traditional Musicians (AITM) (no website known) 144 0%
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) 120 0%
Institution of Engineers in Ireland 117 0%
Veterinary Ireland (VI) 57 0%
Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) 51 0%
National League of the Blind (NLB) 24 0%
X 557,977 100%
Under section 6 of the Trade Union Act 1941 every organisation intending to enter into collective bargaining "for the fixing of wages or other conditions of employment" must obtain from the Minister for Enterprise and Employment a negotiation licence. This licence must be granted if certain conditions are satisfied, including in particular a minimum membership and the deposit of a sum of money with the High Court. The main purpose of the section is to make difficult the formation of new trade unions and thus to avoid further trade union proliferation. Certain bodies possessing excepted body status (mainly staff associations or other specialised organisations) do not require a negotiation licence. The statutory requirement applies both to trade unions and to employers' associations.
Section 21 of the Industrial Relations Act 1990 made considerable changes to the requirements for obtaining a negotiation licence: it doubled the minimum membership requirement from 500 to 1,000, and the deposit to be lodged with the High Court has been substantially increased. The minimum deposit is now IR£20,000 with a maximum of IR£60,000, whereas the minimum was previously IR£5,000.
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