Super union manages to unite on a name at last

The new trade union formed from the merger of the T&G and Amicus is to be called Unite, The Times has learnt.

The name will be announced next month when the union, which will have 2 million members, formally begins work.

The choice comes after months of wrangling between the two unions. An attempt to let the membership vote on a choice of names has been abandoned after the two could not agree on which alternatives to offer. Unite is the only name that the two general secretaries, Derek Simpson of Amicus and Tony Woodley of the T&G, could both back.

Discarded names include OneUnion, United, Union@ work, United, Accommodate, Voice, and Spectrum. The new union comes into legal existence on May 1. Several key Labour figures have said that it will be too powerful at the party conference, where it will command about 40 per cent of the unions’ vote.

Trade unions are largely resigned to Gordon Brown having a trouble-free passage to No 10 and would certainly back him rather than a high-profile Blairite candidate such as David Milliband, if he were to decide to stand. But the election for the deputy leadership is more open and candidates are courting the unions, who account for a third of the votes.

Unite will support Jon Cruddas, the MP for Dagenham. Amicus and the T&G believe that he is the only candidate who will provide a strong enough counterpoint to Mr Brown and press him for more union-friendly policies.

Unite will be jointly led by Mr Simpson and Mr Woodley for three years until Mr Simpson retires.

Power in numbers

Unison

1.3 million members; formed in 1993 from merger of Nalgo, Nupe and Cohse; £2.1 million in affiliation to Labour; £585,000 for election campaign

Amicus

1.1 million members; formed in 2002 from the AEEU and the MSF; £1.6 million annual affiliation to Labour; £500,000 for election

T&G

806,000 members; formed in 1922; £520,000 in affiliation fees; £500,000 for election campaign

GMB

571,000 members; first part of the union formed in 1889; £1 million in affiliation; £800,000 for election

Source: Times database

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