UNIFI starts ball rolling on route to super-union

Skilled and professional union Amicus will expand by nearly 140,000 members next month after finance union UNIFI voted to join them.

Over 90% of UNIFI's members voted in favour of the transfer of engagements to Amicus in a 30% turnout. The merger is expected to go ahead on 1 July.

UNIFI general secretary Ed Sweeney hailed the result, saying that, "by combining the resources of these two great unions, we can represent members' interests much more forcefully." He cited pay discrimination against women - 43% in the finance industry - and pensions as the two key issues facing the sector.

UNIFI's membership will join Amicus's 50,000 finance members, creating a group comprising two-thirds of all union membership in the sector, the two unions say.

The GPMU media union is also to ballot its members on joining Amicus in the next few weeks.

* Members of ISTC - the Community Union and the KFAT footwear and clothing union have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a merger. ISTC members voted in favour by 83% and KFAT members by 92%.

* The government certification officer ordered Amicus joint general secretary Roger Lyons to stand down as Labour Research went to press after ruling he had not stood for re-election within the five-year statutory period.