8th March 2007 For immediate release Amicus and T&G members back new union
8th March 2007
For immediate release
Amicus and T&G members back new union
Amicus and T&G members have voted to merge to create Britain and Ireland's newest and biggest trade union with around two million members.
In the ballot to approve the creation of the as yet unnamed new union, the T&G gave the go-ahead by 86.4% for merger and Amicus members voted 70.1% for merger. Both unions achieved a 27% turnout.
This gives a powerful mandate for a new union which, subject to the completion of legal requirements, will come into being on May 1. It will cover a huge range of industries and services including transport, manufacturing, aviation, food and farming, the financial sector as well as public services and the voluntary sector amongst many others.
Tony Woodley said: "The new union will be a progressive, organising, fighting back industrial giant focussed above all on winning for our members in the workplace and taking trade unionism to the millions who need it."
Derek Simpson said: "The new union will be the greatest campaigning force on behalf of ordinary people that has ever existed. It is a precursor to the creation of a single global trade union movement capable of challenging the might of multinationals who seek to play workforces and governments off against each other to reduce jobs and hard won pay and conditions."
The new union will be committed to organising workers. Within three years ten per cent of its income will be spent in this way
Once the merger is finalised, the new Joint Executive Council, drawn equally from the T&G and Amicus executives, will supervise the drawing up of a final rule book for the new union. This will come into effect in November 2008, when the integration of the two unions into one should be complete.
Tony Woodley and Amicus leader Derek Simpson will serve as Joint General Secretaries of the new union. A sole General Secretary will be elected in a membership ballot in 2010
Preparatory work on choosing a name for the new union is almost complete. Alternatives will be put before the membership in a democratic vote in the near future.
For further information please call:
Catherine Bithell, Amicus Press Office on 020 7420 8909 or 07958 473224
Andrew Dodgshon, T&G Press Office on 020 7611 2550 or 07976 832156