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MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

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would be required. UNISON was considered likely to result in bias<br />

because the author was employed there.<br />

The merger which created PCS, by contrast, was relatively recent and<br />

was a significant one because it brought together two unions with very<br />

different traditions. Merger management, therefore, would have to take<br />

account of a whole range of contingent factors. PCS was a major<br />

predominantly public sector union with members in a variety of<br />

occupations.<br />

Similarly, the move of the CWU Head Office to Wimbledon was<br />

relatively recent and it was well known that the union’s merger still had<br />

a lot of loose ends to tie up. BT had been privatised and therefore a<br />

very significant proportion of the union’s membership was in the private<br />

sector. The other big element in the union’s membership was in the<br />

Post Office. Although in the public sector, that organisation was<br />

struggling with achieving some commercial freedom which was a<br />

difficult concept for the union. Contrasting approaches could therefore<br />

be expected amongst the union’s officials.<br />

A private sector union was required to replace the AEEU. In 1999,<br />

UNiFI was formed which represented staff at all levels within the<br />

banking and finance industries. Two aspects of interest in this merger<br />

were first that it brought together staff unions with a traditional industry<br />

based union, suggesting significant change for all three unions;<br />

secondly, that it had decided to retain all three head offices, making the<br />

creation of the new union potentially more problematic.<br />

Finally, having left UNISON in 2000, the research of that organisation<br />

became more viable. It was the largest trade union merger in the UK<br />

and was obviously the case against which all others would be<br />

compared. Because of the size of the project, merger management<br />

was still, recognisably, taking place. It is a mixed union, primarily public<br />

sector, with members at all levels in the public sector and the privatised<br />

water, gas and electricity industries, as well as outsourced catering,<br />

cleaning and other manual staff. Because of having such a close<br />

involvement with the union, the decision was taken to leave research<br />

until last, when a significant breathing space had been achieved.<br />

Interviews were commenced in August 2002.<br />

These merged unions represent, apart from the AEEU, arguably the<br />

most significant union mergers in the 1990s.<br />

Interviewees<br />

The intention was to interview a reasonable number (no number was<br />

determined in advance but 12 to 15 was at that time the aim) of trade<br />

union officials in the top three or four tiers of union management. This<br />

would thus include General Secretaries, Deputy General Secretaries,<br />

Assistant General Secretaries, Senior National Officers and functional<br />

heads. Wherever possible, I tried to include women managers in order<br />

65

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