The GSU is affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU). The Union is currently represented at the ICTU Private Sector Committee and the ICTU Global Solidarity Committee.
The ICTU is holding its biennual conference in Belfast in April 2017. The GSU is entitled to put forward one motion to the conference. If any member has a particular issue which they think the Union should bring to the ICTU conference please talk to your representative on the Executive or send an email to the GSU.
Previously the Union had motions passed at conference on women’s rights, zero hours contracts and precarious work.
There are 830,000 people in membership of ICTU affiliated trade unions in the North and South of Ireland. Membership of trade unions is beginning to rise again , there is a very good reason for that, people in Unions are better off than those workers not organised. The Central Statics Office (CSO) National Employment Survey has shown that unionised workers consistently enjoy better pay and working conditions than those not in a union.
Remembers many employers are also members of unions such as IBEC and the Small Firms Association.