MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

would be required. UNISON was considered likely to result in bias
because the author was employed there.
The merger which created PCS, by contrast, was relatively recent and
was a significant one because it brought together two unions with very
different traditions. Merger management, therefore, would have to take
account of a whole range of contingent factors. PCS was a major
predominantly public sector union with members in a variety of
occupations.
Similarly, the move of the CWU Head Office to Wimbledon was
relatively recent and it was well known that the union’s merger still had
a lot of loose ends to tie up. BT had been privatised and therefore a
very significant proportion of the union’s membership was in the private
sector. The other big element in the union’s membership was in the
Post Office. Although in the public sector, that organisation was
struggling with achieving some commercial freedom which was a
difficult concept for the union. Contrasting approaches could therefore
be expected amongst the union’s officials.
A private sector union was required to replace the AEEU. In 1999,
UNiFI was formed which represented staff at all levels within the
banking and finance industries. Two aspects of interest in this merger
were first that it brought together staff unions with a traditional industry
based union, suggesting significant change for all three unions;
secondly, that it had decided to retain all three head offices, making the
creation of the new union potentially more problematic.
Finally, having left UNISON in 2000, the research of that organisation
became more viable. It was the largest trade union merger in the UK
and was obviously the case against which all others would be
compared. Because of the size of the project, merger management
was still, recognisably, taking place. It is a mixed union, primarily public
sector, with members at all levels in the public sector and the privatised
water, gas and electricity industries, as well as outsourced catering,
cleaning and other manual staff. Because of having such a close
involvement with the union, the decision was taken to leave research
until last, when a significant breathing space had been achieved.
Interviews were commenced in August 2002.
These merged unions represent, apart from the AEEU, arguably the
most significant union mergers in the 1990s.
Interviewees
The intention was to interview a reasonable number (no number was
determined in advance but 12 to 15 was at that time the aim) of trade
union officials in the top three or four tiers of union management. This
would thus include General Secretaries, Deputy General Secretaries,
Assistant General Secretaries, Senior National Officers and functional
heads. Wherever possible, I tried to include women managers in order
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