Owen Reidy: Irish trade union movement’s place is in Europe

The trade union movement must start to take its engagement and relationship with European institutions much more seriously, writes Owen Reidy

The recently agreed Adequate Minimum Wages Directive is potentially one of the most significant and progressive directives to emerge from the EU in recent decades.

The Irish trade union movement’s attitude towards Europe and its institutions has varied over the years depending on the prevailing political and economic winds both in Dublin and Brussels. There is no doubt that sentiment towards Europe, whatever we mean by that, was negative during the Barroso period and during the economic crash. However, the chaos and tragedy of Brexit that we are seeing play out on our own island and in Britain has certainly left Irish trade unionists and indeed citizens more positively disposed towards the EU.

However, from a practical and strategic perspective it is critical that the Irish trade union movement starts to take its engagement and relationship with the various European institutions much more seriously and less ad hoc. The employers, the farmers and the community and voluntary sector do. We must also start to do so.