Maura Breslin Life References Navigation menu
1914 births1984 deathsIrish activistsIrish trade unionistsIrish feminists
St. Brendan's Hospital, DublinIrish Women Workers' UnionDublin Council of Trade UnionsIrish Congress of Trade Unions
Maura Breslin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mary Breslin 29 December 1914 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 10 February 1984(1984-02-10) (aged 69) |
| Nationality | Irish |
Maura Breslin (29 December 1914 – 10 February 1984) was an Irish feminist and trade unionist.[1]
Life
Maura Breslin was born Mary Breslin on 29 December 1914 in Dublin. She first worked as a staff nurse in St. Brendan's Hospital, Dublin, where she began her lifelong activism in trade unions by joining Irish Women Workers' Union (IWWU). She sat as a IWWU delegate to the Dublin Council of Trade Unions. She was elected president of the union in 1958. In January 1969 she was appointed the union's assistant general secretary, later becoming the general secretary in 1971.[1]
Throughout her life, Breslin campaigned for equal rights for women in the workplace and in the trade union movement in Ireland. She sat as a member of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions' (ICTU) women's advisory committee. In 1973 she was elected to the executive of ICTU, the first woman to be elected since the ICTU's foundation in 1959. Breslin was an active member of the "equal pay for equal work" campaign during the 1960s and 1970s, an issue that was not resolved until a European court ruling. In March 1972, she addressed the commission on the status of women on the topics of equality in the training, recruitment and promotion of women. She particularly focused on the lack of opportunities for young women to take up trade apprenticeships. Throughout the 1970s, Breslin continued to campaign on behalf of those on low wages, targeting large corporate employers such as the Bank of Ireland computer centre.[1]
Breslin was forced to retire in 1980 after 3 years of ill health. She unsuccessfully ran for a senate seat on the labour panel in 1981. She died on 10 February 1984.[1]
References
^ abcd Maguire, Martin (2009). "Breslin, Mary ('Maura')". In McGuire, James; Quinn, James. Dictionary of Irish Biography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
