Manufacturing and technical union joins general workers union to create new ‘super- union’

Amicus and the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) have voted in favour of combining to form the country’s largest union.

The union, which is yet to be named, will have over two million members and will make up one-third of the British trade union membership.

In a ballot to approve the merger, 86% of T&G members and 70% of Amicus members voted in favour. The unions collectively managed only a 27% turn-out.

Amicus leader Derek Simpson said the formation of the ‘super-union’ is just the beginning of their plans: "The new union is a precursor to the creation of a single global trade union movement capable of challenging the might of multinationals who seek to reduce jobs and hard won pay and conditions."

He and T&G leader Tony Woodley will become joint general secretaries of the new union, with a new leader to be elected in 2010.

The new union will officially come into being on 1 May.