Small unions and mergers: evidence from two case studies
| Pages | 340-353 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450510605688 |
| Published date | 01 August 2005 |
| Date | 01 August 2005 |
| Author | Gerry Palmer,Jeff Parry,Mike Webb |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
ER
27,4
340
Employee Relations
Vol. 27 No. 4, 2005
pp. 340-353
#Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/01425450510605688
Received 21 January 2005
Revised 31 January 2005
Accepted 31 January 2005
Small unions and mergers:
evidence from two case studies
Gerry Palmer, Jeff Parry and Mike Webb
University College Worcester, Worcester, UK
Abstract
Purpose – Seeks to investigate decisions by small unions to engage in ‘‘transfers of engagement’’
whereby they are in effect ‘‘absorbed’’ by a larger union.
Design/methodology/approach – Uses case study evidence from two small unions in the UK
carpet industry. The study is based on interviews with officials who were involved in the merger
decisions, and on supporting documentary evidence.
Findings – The findings show that small unions have significant bargaining strength in merger
negotiations and that they use this power to determine when merger is right for them, with whom
they merge, and the terms of their transfer.
Research limitations/implications – The case studies rely he avily on evidence from union
officials and officers – the authors acknowledge that the attitudes and influence of the wider union
membership were beyond the scope of the research. They also propose that it would be valuable to
carry out a longitudinal study of the impact of mergers over time.
Practical implications – Suggests that the actions and motivations of small unions, and barriers to
their merger, need to feature more centrally in explanations of mergers in the UK.
Originality/value – The paper shows how structural influences interact with individual and g roup
decisions in merger situations. Also provides a useful survey of the literature on aspects of union
mergers.
Keywords Acquisitions and mergers, United Kingdom
Paper type Research paper
One significant development in trade union organisation in the last two decades, across
a number of countries, has been restructuring through mergers as unions have sought
to respond to changes in the economic and political climate by joining forces. However,
while union mergers are an international phenomenon, they have assumed partic ular
importance in Britain. In a comparative study of union mergers Chaison observes:
‘‘more so than in any other country, unions in Britain have a tradition of turning to
mergers to resolve their problems’’ (1996, p. 79). The number of trade unions in Britain
has fallen by over two thirds in the last half century, from 732 in 1950 to 221 in 2004,
with mergers being the major cause of this contraction.
The importance of mergers for British unions has generated academic interest,
which, in the main, has focused upon amalgamations, that is mergers ‘‘where two or
more unions join together to form a new union’’ (Blyton and Turnbull, 2004, p. 160).
There is, however, another form of merger, namely transfers of engagement ‘‘whereone
union is subsumed by another and loses its legal status’’ (Blyton and Turnbull, 2004, p.
160). While this latter form of merger has attracted some academic commentar y, not
least because it is the most common merger type, this has concentrated on the motives
and strategies of the larger acquiring union (Undy, 1999). Little remains known about
the mergers from the perspective of the small, absorbed unions. Yet, for small unions
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The authors would like to thank Helen Shaw of University College Worchester and John
Gennard, editor of Employee Relations for their support with this paper.
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