Branches face radical change
IRISH Secretary Séamus Dooley warned delegates that the branch structure in Ireland was not fit for purpose and must be radically reviewed.
The Irish executive had set up committees to review branches but no consensus had been reached. The union no longer had the luxury of doing nothing, Séamus Dooley warned, and the incoming executive would be charged with the task of drawing up new branch structures and reporting to a special delegate conference within six months.
Branches, he said, must meet the needs of members and the future should not be determined by concerns about representation at union conferences. He pointed out that chapel activity was very strong, in contrast to attendance at branch meetings.