Great Britain: after failing to create a big rail and road transport union with the RMT, TSSA is thinking about creating a big transport union with Unite

After the failure of talks to agree on a merger between the Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA) and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union in 2012, the TSSA has announced that it will be joining Unite, the largest union, to form Britain and Ireland's first-ever cross-transport union, organising and representing workers across all forms of the transport industry. Now the unions’ structures need to give their consent. (Ref.  130307)
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The failed merger between the TSSA and RMT hit the buffers on the issues of the election of union officials, negotiating structures and affiliation to the Labour Party. The RMT elects all its full-time officials while the TSSA appoints all of its other than the position of general secretary. The RMT’s national executive approves all agreements with employers while the TSSA gives more influence to its full-time officials (albeit in consultation with its elected lay representatives). And, the TSS

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