Union history celebrated
by Niall Shanahan
 
“While it’s generally assumed that the demand for equal pay for women was first voiced in the 1950s or the 1960s, the CPSU organised the mostly female grades in the civil service to the struggle for equal pay and equal opportunity, a struggle that engaged the union from the very foundation of the state in 1922 and around which it mobilised generations of civil servants," said Eoin.
“While it’s generally assumed that the demand for equal pay for women was first voiced in the 1950s or the 1960s, the CPSU organised the mostly female grades in the civil service to the struggle for equal pay and equal opportunity, a struggle that engaged the union from the very foundation of the state in 1922 and around which it mobilised generations of civil servants," said Eoin.

Fórsa trade union hosted an event this week to mark the publication of a new book charting the progress of the CPSU (one of the founder unions of Fórsa) from its roots in the 19th century, as one of the earliest civil service unions, and its role in positioning the issue of gender equality at the centre of the Irish trade union movement.

 

ICTU president and Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said the book captures crucial detail about the development of the Civil Service in the context of the formation of the State in its early development: “The CPSU played an exemplary role in the formation of the State and in breakthroughs on equal pay and equal working rights for women in the Irish workforce. As one of the founding unions of Fórsa, It’s a legacy of which we are rightly proud and are happy to celebrate,” he said.

 

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, attended as a special guest. He acknowledged the role of the union in representing a huge proportion of women in the civil and public service, and said many young Irish people would find the restrictions previously placed on women in the workplace “unbelievable,” paying tribute to the role civil servants and their representatives played in transforming the workplace.

 

Fighting for the Clerical Grades: A history of the Civil, Public and Services Union 1922-2017 (CPSU) is researched and written by Martin Maguire and is published by the Institute of Public Administration (IPA).

 

New State

The union’s history features an account of the union’s engagement with Michael Collins as Minister for Finance/Political Head of the Civil Service, within days of the formation of the Provisional Government in January 1922.

 

A union delegation from the clerical officers’ organisation met with Collins, offering the commitment of the membership to the independent state, and warning him of the dangers posed by the ongoing partition of the civil service.

 

The delegation proposed a model for a civil service to Collins which they said better suited to the new state, describing it as “a revolutionary break from the British system.” Martin makes the case that, had this model been adopted, it would have better suited the new Irish state.

 

Also featured is the union’s role as early champions of equality in the new state. Former CPSU general secretary Eoin Ronayne explained: “While it’s generally assumed that the demand for equal pay for women was first voiced in the 1950s or the 1960s, the CPSU organised the mostly female grades in the civil service to the struggle for equal pay and equal opportunity, a struggle that engaged the union from the very foundation of the state in 1922 and around which it mobilised generations of civil servants.

 

“In the fight for equality and respect it took the government to the courts in Ireland and in Europe, winning some of the highest court awards in the history of the state and of Europe,” he said.

 

For more about the book and how to order a copy, visit the Fórsa website. 

 

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

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