Strong doubts for workers new super union

Strong doubts have arisen about the formation of a new ësuper unioní with less than eight months to go until its planned launch reports tomorrowís Personnel Today magazine.

Amicus, the Transport and General Workersí Union (T&G) and the GMB are due to merge in January 2007, creating a new body with 2.6 million members.

The new merged union ñ with a current working title of New Union ñ aims to keep workers as members for life as they wouldnít have to change unions when changing jobs.

But despite talks between the three unions continuing and proposals put out to consultation, the GMB maintained that it is not committed to any deal.

ìWe are not committed to anything, be it a merger or any proposed date,î a GMB spokeswoman told Personnel Today. ìA decision on the best way forward will be taken at our congress in June.î

A membership vote to ratify the merger is likely to take place in October this year, with the result announced before Christmas. The union would then officially start work in early January.

Public services would have 500,000 members; there would be 250,000 in transport, 220,000 in commercial services, 200,000 in leisure and hospitality, 200,000 in finance, 120,000 in construction, 100,000 in energy and 100,000 in print and paper industries.

Michael Millar, deputy news editor, said: ìEmployers will be watching carefully to see how this pans out as the union could, in theory, completely change the industrial relations landscape. It could be an enormously powerful body if everything goes to plan and this can only mean more strikes on a greater scale if companies and public bodies donít bow to it.î