THE Irish Congress of Trade Unions is expected to set up a special subcommittee this week to investigate a membership dispute between two of the biggest craft unions in the Republic.
The British based Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union has lodged an official complaint with ICTU against the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union. It is accusing the TEEU of poaching members, and bad trade union practice.
The executive of ICTU is to consider the complaint tomorrow and is expected to set up a subcommittee to investigate the allegations. Normally, when one union accuses another of poaching members, it is. dealt with by a "disputes committee" of congress. But the ICTU has rarely had to deal with a poaching allegation on this scale and the AEEU is thought likely to make counter allegations.
The unions represent electricians and fitters throughout the public and private sectors. The dispute could become a major headache for the ICTU and employers if it leads to inter union rows on the shop floor. Congress could decide to freeze applications from AEEU members seeking to join the TEEU while the investigation takes place, but this is unlikely.
The large scale defection to the TEEU was sparked off by a change in the rules of the AEEU, which effectively removes much of the autonomy from its Irish membership. As a result, the senior officials in the Republic, District Secretary, Mr Eamonn Devoy, and Limerick branch secretary, Mr Pat Guilfoyle, resigned.
They all joined the TEEU, which set up a transition branch to accommodate AEEU members who were dissatisfied with the new rulebook. Since this branch was set up, it is understood that the TEEU has received applications from over 1,000 of the AEEU's 10,000 members in the Republic.
These have mainly been from smaller firms in the Dublin area. However, there have been indications that mass defections might take place in larger plants. More than 220 AEEU members in Thermo King's Dublin plant have applied to join the TEEU.
The AEEU has 700,000 members and £60 million in assets, while the TEEU has 23,000 members and assets of less than £1 million.