On 14 May 2004, it was announced that members of ISTC - The Community Union and the Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades Union (KFAT) had voted overwhelmingly in favour of a proposed merger between the two organisations. The move was supported by 83% of ISTC members and 92% of KFAT members. The merged union, whose new name has yet to be announced, will reportedly have a combined membership of some 45,000 throughout the UK.
In May 2004, members of the UK's ISTC steel workers’ union and the Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades Union voted overwhelmingly in favour of a proposed merger between the two organisations.
On 14 May 2004, it was announced that members of ISTC - The Community Union and the Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades Union (KFAT) had voted overwhelmingly in favour of a proposed merger between the two organisations. The move was supported by 83% of ISTC members and 92% of KFAT members. The merged union, whose new name has yet to be announced, will reportedly have a combined membership of some 45,000 throughout the UK.
The ISTC is the larger of the two unions. Its membership is based in the steelmaking and metalworking industries and newer industries in communities formerly associated with steelmaking. KFAT draws its membership from the textiles, clothing, dyeing, footwear and leather industries.
The main logic of the merger is that both unions are based in sectors in which employment has declined dramatically over recent years as a result of economic restructuring, technological advances and competition from developing countries. They also share a commitment to revitalising the communities in which their members live. The ISTC in particular has sought to develop a community-based approach to trade unionism aimed at supporting members throughout their working lives, not just in the workplace, through the provision of education, training in new skills and career development programmes to help members cope with industrial change. This includes 'offering the benefits of trade unionism to those who work in non-union workplaces'.
Commenting on the merger, ISTC general secretary Michael Leahy said: 'This mandate for change shows that members recognised that by joining forces with KFAT - with whom we share a philosophy of delivering the benefits of trade union membership to all sections of our communities - we would be stronger together.' According to KFAT general secretary Paul Gates: 'We have a goal of a modern, effective and committed trade union which helps its members cope with the challenges that they face in and out of the workplace and which plays a key role in regenerating Britain’s industrial communities.'
Under UK law, mergers between trade unions must be carried out according to statutory procedures which are overseen by the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations (CO). Unions proposing to amalgamate must obtain the CO’s approval of an instrument of amalgamation setting out the terms of the merger, and of explanatory notices to members, before seeking membership approval in independently scrutinised postal ballots of the members of each of the unions concerned.
Eurofound doporučuje citovat tuto publikaci následujícím způsobem.
Eurofound (2004), Union members support merger, article.
