Anatomy of a merger: a study of the merger process in British trade unions, with particular reference to the case of the GMB/Apex merger of 1989

Abstract

The historic context, characteristics, effects of social and industrial determinants and the tendentious factors of trade union mergers are explored. The literature on trade unionism, its history and merger trends and styles, is reviewed with special reference to the relationship of staff and manual workers. The hypotheses developed concern the reasons for mergers, the capital / labour nexus, merger stiles, and the effects of both internal factors (trade union movement and individual trade union culture) and external (industry and societal) factors. This is then related to the particular merger of APEX/GMB: the significance of a staff union amalgamating with a general, ostensibly manual, union. The hypotheses are reviewed against the historic development, characteristics, structural changes and, more particularly, the culture of the unions. Reviewing the developed themes of culture changes, the actual merger details are analysed, drawing upon interviews of a relevant selected group of senior lay and full-time officials and internal documents. This case study also considers the earlier merger of the Boilermakers' Society and the General & Municipal Workers Union: itself significant in bringing together a craft and general union. Among other conclusions, it is asserted that the future development is the amalgamation - friendly style, managing change as part of the trade union critical application to merge, and the "Super Union", which is "conglomerate" in character. There is no monocausal determinant, however there are interdependent factors. This gives direction to probable development for the 1990s. Although concerned with the developing British trend it also points to the factors' relevance to a broader arena of the trade union centre, the TUC and Europe. (None of this work has previously been submitted for any other degree.)