Independent Regulation

The trend towards ever larger trade union in the UK continues - with the news that Unite is about to swallow up the TSSA (Transport and Salaried Staffs' Association) which claims to represent around 30,000 members.

So the number of trade unions affiliated to the Labour Party will now shrink to 15 as Unite becomes a slightly bigger fish in rather small pool - which is dominated by the three big, public sector unions - Unite, GMB and Unison - with the latter two in merger talks as well.

The move will strengthen, albeit marginally, the hand of Unite's general secretary - Len McCluskey - whose union has donated £10 million to the Labour Party since the 2010 general election.

I must dig out a previous piece I wrote about Smaller Banks, Bigger Unions - because it makes the perfectly argument that trade unions, as monopoly providers of services, should be properly regulated - by an independent body which can adjudicate on complaints and ensure that they are not abusing their monopoly position. 

After all what's good enough for newspapers, the banks, the legal profession and many other areas of public life - should surely be good enough for the trade unions as well, don't you think?

Unite currretly claims to have 1.5 million members, but if merger talks between GMB and Unison produce a new, super union (Gumbo has been mooted) - this new organisation would leapfrog Unite to create a trade union with around 1.9 million members.

Unite was formed several years ago via merger between the Amicus and the T&G unions in 2007 - with the 30,000 TSSA due to become part of Unite early in 2014.