Former Sinn Féin senator Paul Gavan is to take up the role of campaigning and advocacy officer with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) on Monday.
Mr Gavan, a former Siptu official, was the party’s spokesperson on education and workers rights in the last Seanad and was nominated by Ictu to run again for a seat on the labour panel in the recent election.
After Sinn Féin nominated two other candidates, Chris Andrews and Maria McCormack to run, however, Mr Gavan said he would not actively participate in the election and he was ultimately eliminated in an early count while the two candidates backed by the party were elected.
Mr Gavan’s wife, Ursula Gavan, a councillor on Limerick County Council, resigned from the party in protest at its decision not to back his candidacy.
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First elected to the Seanad in 2016, Mr Gavan was associated with a number of union-backed causes, including a campaign to have legislation introduced on the distribution of tips in hotels, bars and restaurants – a measure ultimately adopted by the last government.
He ran unsuccessfully for Sinn Féin in both the European and general elections last year in the South and Limerick City constituencies respectively.
At Ictu, he will take on responsibility for the organisation’s campaigns on issues such as housing and trade union rights.
