SIPTU

What SIPTU does

SIPTU (Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union) is Ireland's largest trade union, representing over 180,000 workers across virtually every sector of the Irish economy. Founded in 1909 and headquartered at Liberty Hall, Eden Quay, Dublin 1, the union is organized into five operational divisions — Health (42,000+ members), Manufacturing, Public Administration and Community, Services, and Transport, Energy, Aviation and Construction — each led by dedicated divisional organizers and sector-specific staff. SIPTU delivers collective bargaining representation, dispute resolution through the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court, industrial action capability, and individual member advocacy on pay, conditions, outsourcing, and recognition disputes.

SIPTU generates revenue primarily through recurring monthly membership subscriptions from its 180,000+ members; specific dues are not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market motion is community-led: a documented five-step workplace organizing process moves workers from confidential colleague discussions, to contacting SIPTU organizers, to forming an Organising Committee, to building majority membership, and finally to formal negotiation with management. The union supplements this with digital channels including a website (siptu.ie), The Unionise Podcast, Facebook, X, and Instagram (@oursiptu), and runs dedicated campaigns such as Respect Transport Workers, Early Years, Supporting Quality, and Join Praxis to recruit in underrepresented segments.

SIPTU is a member-owned non-profit governed by an elected National Executive Council under the SIPTU Rule Book, with John King serving as General Secretary and Greg Ennis and Ethel Buckley as Deputy General Secretaries. It is affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), UNI Europa, and the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), and coordinates with allied unions including the NUJ and Unite on shared disputes. The organization employs 101–250 paid staff to support representation, legal services, training, and policy advocacy for its membership.

Name

SIPTU

Legal name

Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU)

Website

https://siptu.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Union Services

NAICS

Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (81393)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Labor & Employment Administration (Workforce Regulation & Programs) (BPAIAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Trade union services
• Worker representation
• Collective bargaining
• Industrial relations
• Labor union membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Trade Union Membership Dues: SIPTU generates revenue through membership subscriptions/dues from its 180,000+ members across Ireland. Members pay for representation, collective bargaining services, and union support in workplace matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SIPTU (Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union) is Ireland's largest trade union, providing collective bargaining representation, workplace advocacy, and individual member support to over 180,000 workers across the Irish economy. The union is organised into five sector divisions (Health; Manufacturing; Public Administration and Community; Services; Transport, Energy, Aviation and Construction) that deliver dispute resolution through the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court, industrial action capability, and political advocacy for workers' rights. Membership subscriptions fund the provision of these representation services to individual worker members.

Product overview

SIPTU (Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union) is Ireland's largest trade union representing over 180,000 workers across multiple sectors. The organization operates as a unified union with specialized divisions: Health Division (42,000+ members in healthcare settings), Manufacturing Division, Public Administration and Community Division, Services Division, and Transport, Energy, Aviation and Construction Division. SIPTU offers core union membership providing collective representation, collective bargaining, and workplace advocacy, supplemented by campaigns (Respect Transport Workers, Early Years, Supporting Quality, Join Praxis), media content (The Unionise Podcast), publications (annual Gender Pay Gap Report), and training resources. The union provides member support through representation in industrial disputes, pay negotiations, and individual workplace issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIPTU Union Membership Core union membership subscription providing workers in Ireland with collective representation, collective bargaining, workplace advocacy, dispute resolution via the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court, industrial action capability, and access to union benefits and resources across SIPTU's five divisions.
• SIPTU Health Division Representation Sector-specific trade union representation for over 42,000 members working as Health Care Assistants, Support Staff, Mental Health Nursing staff, Allied Health Professionals, Radiation Therapists, National Ambulance Service personnel, and home care workers, covering collective bargaining on pay, staffing levels, professional recognition, and dispute resolution.
• SIPTU Manufacturing Division Representation Sector-specific trade union representation for workers in pharmaceutical, electronics, food manufacturing, and contract sterilisation facilities across Ireland, covering union recognition, pay negotiations, redundancy terms enforcement, and strike support.
• SIPTU Public Administration and Community Division Representation Sector-specific trade union representation for public sector workers including civil servants, local government employees, community sector workers, and those in broadcasting (RTÉ) and education, focused on protection against outsourcing, pay negotiations, and restructuring representation.
• SIPTU Services Division Representation Sector-specific trade union representation for workers across retail, hospitality, cleaning, security, catering, and essential contract services, with emphasis on low-wage advocacy, working conditions, and worker protections in public procurement contracts.
• SIPTU Transport, Energy, Aviation and Construction Division Representation Sector-specific trade union representation for workers in aviation (Aer Lingus, Swissport), ground handling, fire services (Sligo Airport), transport, and construction sectors, covering pay disputes, outsourcing defence, and collective bargaining recognition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pay increases of 5-10% secured through collective action in home care sector
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNI EuropacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026SIPTU collaborates with UNI Europa, the European services workers' union, on cross-border worker organizing and joint campaigns. UNI Europa represents over 7 million workers across Europe in services sectors. The partnership focuses on workers' rights in cleaning, security and catering sectors, and joint advocacy for public procurement reform during Ireland's EU Presidency.
• Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIPTU is affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), Ireland's main trade union confederation. ICTU coordinates collective bargaining, advocates for workers' rights at national level, and provides strategic direction for the trade union movement in Ireland.
• Guinness Staff UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated trade union organization that works within the SIPTU organizational framework for representation purposes.
• Building and Allied Trades' UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated trade union organization that works within the SIPTU organizational framework for representation purposes.
• European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIPTU participates in EPSU through its Health Division, engaging with European healthcare union networks. EPSU brings together public service unions to coordinate on working conditions, collective bargaining, and public service policy across Europe.
• National Union of Journalists (NUJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIPTU worked alongside NUJ in referring the Raidió na Gaeltachta pay dispute to the Industrial Relations Tribunal, demonstrating solidarity between affiliated unions in addressing common issues at RTÉ.
• Unite the UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIPTU and Unite are both balloting members in the National Ambulance Service over the same pay dispute, coordinating industrial action against the HSE over delayed implementation of pay recommendations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Unite the Union (Ireland): Major Irish/UK general union actively coordinating with SIPTU on joint disputes (e.g., National Ambulance Service balloting). Competes in private-sector organizing and shares overlapping membership in transport, manufacturing, and services.
• Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO): Ireland's specialist nursing union. Overlaps with SIPTU's Health Division (42,000+ members) particularly in acute hospital settings and home care, often coordinating or competing on the same bargaining agendas with the HSE.
• Mandate Trade Union: Irish union representing retail, bar, and restaurant workers. Direct peer in the Services Division space and in shaping industrial-relations policy through ICTU.
• Communication Workers Union (CWU) Ireland: Irish union for postal, telecom, and media workers. Directly comparable in organizing model and ICTU affiliation; overlaps with SIPTU in broadcasting and public administration segments.
• FORSA: Ireland's largest public service trade union formed from a merger of IMPACT, PSEU, CPSU, and other unions. Directly competes with SIPTU in organizing Irish public sector and civil service workers and in representing members in the ICTU confederation.
• Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO): Ireland's primary teachers' union. Direct peer in education sector representation (SIPTU covers non-teaching education workers like Carlow College) and in ICTU-level coordinating activity.
• National Union of Journalists (NUJ): Irish/UK media-sector union that has coordinated with SIPTU on broadcasting disputes (RTÉ/Raidió na Gaeltachta pay). Direct peer in the broadcasting sub-segment of SIPTU's membership.

Broad incumbents

• Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU): National confederation to which SIPTU belongs. Not a direct competitor — ICTU coordinates policy across all affiliated unions including SIPTU — but is the broader institution in which SIPTU operates and a comparable scale-of-influence entity for Irish labor relations.

Others

• European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU): European-level federation for public service unions in which SIPTU's Health Division actively participates. Not a competitor — an umbrella partner providing cross-border organizing reach and policy influence.
• UNI Global Union: Global federation of unions representing 20M+ workers across services, with UNI Europa as SIPTU's direct counterpart. Sister organization enabling cross-border leverage for multinational employers that SIPTU faces.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/siptu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/siptudigital
• Facebookfacebook.com/siptu
• Instagraminstagram.com/oursiptu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/siptu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SIPTU