Workers' Liberty

The Offshore Industry Liaison Committee, the union for offshore rig workers, is one step closer to merging with the RMT union after the OILC executive voted to back the merger.

The question on Jim Denham’s voting paper, and on mine, in the recent TGWU-Amicus ballot, was “do you approve the Instrument of Amalgamation?”, not “are you, in general, in favour of a merger of TGWU and Amicus?”

What rights for vulnerable adults?

The issue of Ashley X and of disability rights is an emotive and complicated issue (see Solidarity 3/104 and 3/105). I agree with Chris Leary when he that the issues are too big to be dealt with in one article and indeed in relation to one issue.

Defend Mark O’Reilly

STOP press: North/ Northwest London CWU branch has perpetrated a bureaucratic stitch-up against Mark O’Reilly, a postal worker at Finsbury Park depot. Mark decided to challenge the incumbent union rep who has colluded with management over job cuts for over two years. Mark distributed a leaflet to workmates that referred to high work levels over the last Xmas period and demanded to know what the rep had done to alleviate the burden on staff.

Debate: Amicus-TGWU merger: the creation of a fighting union?

Early in 2007, members of the TGWU and Amicus will ballot on proposed terms for a merger. The TGWU has approved the terms at a special delegate conference on 19 December 2006, and Amicus, in a postal ballot of its Executive. TGWU members of the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty believe we should vote in favour of that merger, a decision endorsed by the AWL’s national committee. Some comrades remained unconvinced and therefore we will continue to debate the terms of the merger. Below Peter Baker argues the case for the merger and Martin Thomas the case against.

The greatest weakness among rail workers today is our being split into several unions. Management are able to exploit the divisions, and the unions' energies are diverted into duplicating each others' services and competing with each other rather than uniting against the employers. At its worst, they even end up signing separate deals or scabbing on each others' strikes.

I'm currently writing a book about Poplarism, which gives me a superb excuse to leaf through labour movement stuff from the 1920s. On Friday, I browsed 'Lansbury's Labour Weekly', the newspaper that George Lansbury set up after the TUC took over his 'Daily Herald' in 1922.

The GMB’s congress has voted overwhelmingly against merger with the TGWU and Amicus to form a new “super union”.

By a TGWU member

The TGWU Broad Left met on 2 April and discussed the proposed “super-union” amalgamation between the TGWU, AMICUS and the GMB.

By an AMICUS member

While the TGWU has started a process of consultation on the creation of a new super union, developments in the other two unions (AMICUS and GMB) could well undermine the project.

By an AMICUS member

A CONSULTATION document has been issued to TGWU branch secretaries on the proposed TGWU/Amicus/GMB merger.

The TGWU has published a consultation document on its plans to merge with Amicus and the GMB, and is asking for responses by 5 May.

by stan crooke

The approach of the AWL, and its predecessors, to union mergers has not always been one of support.

The proposed creation of a giant new union, made up of the TGWU, Amicus and (probably) the GMB has caused excitement and misgivings within the trade union movement. Solidarity has been debating the pros and cons of the merger which may take place as early as next year.

By Stan Crooke

At the Amicus-TGWU-GMB caucus at the recent AWL trade union school I was asked to write something re. why we should oppose the possible/likely merger of these
three unions.

I think Maria Exall (Solidarity 3/68), is unduly pessimistic about the prospects for the TGWU/Amicus/GMB “super union”.

The proposed “super-union” formed from a merger between AMICUS, TGWU and possibly the GMB, is an issue that should be taken seriously by all socialists.

By Jim Denham

The proposed creation of a giant new union, made up of the TGWU, Amicus and (probably) the GMB has caused much excitement and some misgivings within the trade union movement.

We need unions that serve the members

Sanjay Sirikanth, GMB member

With the recent takeover of the print union GPMU and the forthcoming acquisition of banking union UNIFI, AMICUS is fast becoming the union of choice for trade union bureaucrats seeking to secure their pension funds by pushing merger through their union Executives.

According to reports from a number of AMICUS Executive members, a deal is being struck between Derek Simpson and Kevin Curran for Amicus to take over the crisis ridden GMB next year.

Simpson has only a few years before he retires and the deal seems to be that Curran would assume the role of General Secretary after he goes. The arrangement has the full support of the TUC who seem to be spending much of the £10 million Blair gave them to "modernise" the unions on campaigning for yes votes in unions about to be taken over by AMICUS - Unifi, GPMU, and the merged KFAT/ISTC for example.

By a GPMU member

The Graphical Paper and Media Union held its biennial delegate conference last week in Bournemouth. It was totally dominated by a debate on the future of the union in the face of membership loss and impending financial crisis.