David Begg (trade unionist)

David Begg is a former General Secretary of the main Irish organised labour body, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions,[1] between 2001 and 2015, and later CEO of major development charity Concern Worldwide.

David Begg
Occupation	Trade Union Leader (retired) and NGO CEO
Known for	General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, later CEO of Concern Worldwide (development charity)
Predecessor	Peter Cassells (ICTU)

He has also been a director of Ireland's Central Bank (1995–2010), a governor of the Irish Times Trust (2001–2011), a non-executive director of Aer Lingus, a member of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), and of the Advisory Board of Development Co-operation Ireland.

Education

Begg holds master's degree in International Relations from DCU and a PhD in Sociology from Maynooth University.[2]

Controversies

After the "Jobstown Protest" in November 2014, which saw a "sit down" protest occur in front of Tánaiste Joan Burton's car, David Begg stated that he believed that Burton's assistant, Labour Party official Karen O'Connell, was beaten and kicked.[3] These claims were not clearly corroborated or found to form a basis for conviction, and at a trial on public order and other offences all defendants were acquitted on all charges.

On 13 January 2016 the same Tánaiste, Joan Burton, in her role as Social Protection Minister, appointed Mr Begg as chair of the Pension Authority.

Book

Begg's study of Northern European open economies, Lost in Transition, was published internationally by Palgrave Macmillan in February 2016.

References

1. "Staff & Executive Council » About Congress » Congress – Irish Congress of Trade Unions". Ictu.ie. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
2. David Begg – Our Alumni Maynooth University Alumni.
3. "Burton associate 'kicked and beaten' in Jobstown protest, claims Begg". Irish Times. 2014-11-22. Retrieved 2017-07-01.