Critically assess the nature and impact of one social movement e g trade unions women s
DCU School of Communications Assignment Submission Form Students Names: Sarah Neville, Niamh O Doherty, Cathal Mc Mahon Student Numbers: 53459195, 53575519, 53475247 Module code: CM107 Programme: BA in Journalism Lecturer: Des Mc Guinness Assignment Title: Social and Economic Studies Assignment Assignment Number: 1 Assignment Due Date: December 18, 2003 DeclarationWe hereby certify that this material, which we now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of BA in Journalism is entirely our own work and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of our work. ... Signed:_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ “Critically assess the nature and impact of one social movement (e.g. trade unions, women’s movement, the green movement) in modern Ireland. ... We first examined the nature of the trade union movement in Ireland, writing about basic facts such as the number of unions. We then analysed the Irish trade union movement as a social movement, and also evaluated whether it fell under the category of social action or structural movement. Finally, we described the impact of the trade union movement in Ireland, concentrating on specific areas such as wage agreements. ... The nature of the trade union movement There are 48 unions is Ireland who are members of the Irish Congress on Trade Unions (ICTU). ... It is clear that union membership is decreasing in Ireland, however levels are still high compared to other European countries e.g. ... The ICTU is a linking body between most of the unions in Ireland. It is the only body of its kind in Ireland and is affiliated to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). Its executive council is made up of representatives from the unions. They are elected at a conference attended by 500 delegates from the unions. ... The Congress also represents the 36 unions in Northern Ireland. It creates a link between the trade union movement in north and south of Ireland and in the EU. This connection keeps the movement alive. ... In 1972 the unions argued that Ireland was not ready to join the EU, however today they are pro- EU. In her thesis Mirenda O’Donovan notes that the “trade union movement constitutes a powerful lobby group in Europe”(1992). The ICTU sees itself in Ireland as a body that influences “the Government’s economic and social policies through direct contacts and via the National Partnership process”(ICTU website). SIPTU (Services, Industrial, Professional, Technical Union) is Ireland’s largest union with 200,000 members (SIPTU website). ... On their website SIPTU says that it “plays a vital role as one of the key components of the social partnership with government and employers”. Most unions could say that about themselves. There are a lot of specialist unions like the INTO for teachers and the INO for nurses. This might be one of the reasons why SIPTU has not grown in recent years. Another reason for the stagnation in member numbers in SIPTU might be the growth of the union IMPACT, which was founded in 1991. ... In 1986, the unions joined the National Programme for Recovery with the Government. At the time some union leaders feared that the unions would become another arm of government through initiatives like this.