FIVE candidates have been nominated for the vice-presidency of SIPTU. The front-runner is SIPTU's national industrial officer, Mr Des Geraghty, who has been nominated by 62 branches, Padraig Yeates writes.
Mr Geraghty, well known in the trade union and labour movement, is a former Workers' Party and Democratic Left MEP for Dublin.
Much attention will focus on the shop-floor militant, Ms Carolann Duggan. She surprised many when she ran unsuccessfully for the union's presidency earlier this year and polled nearly 40,000 votes. She has nominations from four branches and is expected to campaign once more on an anti-Partnership 2000 platform.
A strong challenge can be expected from Mr George Hunter, the acting regional secretary for the union's north-west and north-east regions. He received 22 branch nominations.
The secretary of SIPTU's national women's committee, Ms Noirin Greene, has been nominated by eight branches. The other candidate is the secretary of the Dublin hotel, restaurant and catering branch, Mr Norman Croke. He has been nominated by one branch.