Merger to create second biggest union in Ireland

Ireland's second largest trade union is to be created by the merger of the British parent unions of Amicus and the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU).

With about 100,000 members north and south of the Border, the new union will be almost half the size of the largest trade union, Siptu.

In the UK, Amicus and the TGWU yesterday announced that they would merge on May 1st along with a large US and Canadian union, United Steel Workers of America, to create the first global super union with 3.4 million members in Britain, Ireland, North America and the Caribbean.

Amicus's national officer in Ireland, Jerry Shanahan, yesterday welcomed the move, saying that it would create a new trade union force in the "brave new world" of globalisation.

However, he said important issues would have to be resolved between the two Irish unions before the merger was completed within the next 18 months.

Amicus in Ireland has been a steadfast supporter of the partnership process in recent years while the ATGWU has opposed it.

Tensions exist between members of the two unions in the ESB, where engineering members of Amicus have signalled their opposition to a merger with the ATGWU. Mr Shanahan said that engineers in the ESB had always enjoyed separate representation and would continue to do so under any new arrangement.