UNITE to invest millions recruiting in anti-union industries

UNITE trade union is to invest millions of euro in recruiting workers in non-union and anti-union industries in a move that could see it challenging SIPTU for dominance in the private sector.

The union, a recent amalgamation of Amicus and the TGWU, has 100,000 members on the island as well as a strong presence in Britain.

Now it is preparing to invest €15 million in a concerted recruitment drive and a large percentage of that will be dedicated to members in this country.

UNITE regional secretary Jimmy Kelly said: “At the moment we have six organisers in the north and four in the south. We are going to build that up to at least 20 north and south.”

The aim of the drive, according to Industrial Relations News, will be to recruit whole industries which are either non-union or actively anti-union.

“What we had before was drive-by recruitment. If we heard of a new place opening we put in a few leaflets to try to recruit a few members,” said Mr Kelly. “Now we are trying to organise the workplace with shop-stewards, to have a genuine union organisation rather than just deducting union money from people.”

He said the food industry, the aviation industry and the financial sectors, will be among the first targets.

“We will also be mapping the economy of the Republic of Ireland to establish what growth sectors are going to be forthcoming so we can forward-plan,” he said.

Mr Kelly said that while he wants his organisation to grow in stature and challenge SIPTU in size, it would in no way be predicated on taking members from the other union.