Prospective super-union prompts call for review

Last month's TUC Congress agreed a motion from actors' union Equity calling for the setting up of a working party to consider the implications for the TUC of the continuing process of union mergers.

This has been interpreted as a reaction to the proposed merger of technical and professional union Amicus with the GMB and T&G general unions to create a potential "super union". With 2.5 million members, the new union would account for over a third of the TUC's total affiliated membership.

In his speech to Congress, general secretary Brendan Barber said: "Some people tell me I ought to be worried about the prospect of three of our biggest unions merging. Actually I'm not."

He said he had always wanted to see a more rational union structure and less inter-union competition and that the merger could deliver real benefits.

However, Barber also warned that mergers in themselves don't make a single extra member.

The working party will meet in the autumn and will include representatives of unions not represented on the General Council.