The new trade union initiative ONE Cork was launched by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Chris O’Leary, in Cork City Hall on Thursday (14th January).

ONE Cork is a joint initiative between the 20 trade unions working in Cork city and county, the Cork Council of Trade Unions and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions that seeks to foster greater co-ordination between the organisations. The aim is to more effectively organise workers, their families and communities to influence change.

ONE Cork co-ordinator and SIPTU Organiser, Sharon Cregan, said the intiative was the first of its kind in the country – a blueprint for similar initiative in other parts of the country.

She said: “ONE Cork involves a much deeper level of collaboration between the unions to organise, campaign, educate, train and communicate with workers, their families and the wider community.

ONE Cork will focus on a number of areas including:

• Organising workers into trade unions on a collaborative basis – particularly precarious and unemployed workers;
• Educating and training union activists and organisers to develop a critical understanding of social, economic and political issues;
• Communicating more effectively with workers – both directly as well as through local and social media – to inform them of their rights and issues that affect them;
• Campaigning on particular policy issues that will advance the interests of working people, their families and communities.