The trade union movement needs to move towards representing workers in the technology and pharmaceutical sectors as well as the gig economy as the groups have been effectively ignored, a union leader has said. Addressing Fórsa’s local government conference on Wednesday, its general secretary Kevin Callinan said he would “like to lead an attempt to make us relevant to these workers and to make them part of our movement”. Mr Callinan said a renewed impetus was needed to implement a plan proposed initially a decade ago to rationalise the trade union movement, which has had limited success. “Ten years on from the publication of the report on the Commission on the Irish Trade Union Movement I want us to get serious about its recommendations,” he said. “Although these are matters of fairness and justice we will need to simplify our messaging and language to win the support or ordinary citizens.”

Source: The Irish Times May 12, 2021 15:06 UTC