BRITAIN’s
second biggest union is on the verge of splitting,
potentially causing huge problems for Tony Blair’s
industrial-relations policy.
Business will also be concerned that Amicus,
the so-called super union with 1.2m members, is
close to breaking up. The union was formed last
year when the AEEU, the electricians’ union,
merged with the MSF manufacturing union.
The AEEU last week decided to hold a vote on
whether to start talks about demerging.
The move will ring alarm bells in Downing
Street because the AEEU — led by Derek Simpson, a
former communist — is the more powerful wing of
Amicus.
With Simpson in charge there is the threat of
more industrial unrest at a time when a new
generation of left-wing figures is rising to the
top in key unions.
Amicus — which is the Latin word for friendly —
has joint general secretaries. Roger Lyons, the
MSF leader, is close to Blair and could act as a
restraining influence on Simpson. That control
would disappear if the AEEU broke away.
Amicus is due to hold a conference in June to
agree a new constitution.
However, the negotiations have broken down
acrimoniously, calling the merger into question.
The union’s rules commission, which comprises
people from both the AEEU and the MSF, has been
unable to agree a way forward.
It is understood that the MSF wants a 50/50
split of positions and committees in the new
constitution. This is unacceptable to the AEEU,
which has more members and greater organisational
clout.
One insider said: “This is a worrying
development for both business and the government.
A year ago Downing Street was very happy with the
merger as it tied up moderate unions close to
Labour, but Simpson’s election and this
development have changed all that.”
Simpson narrowly beat the incumbent, Sir Ken
Jackson, in the battle to be general secretary of
the AEEU last summer. The result shocked the
Labour party and highlighted the complacency that
had built up in senior government circles. The
party leadership believed that the left had been
neutered during the battles of the early 1990s.
Jackson was known as “the prime minister’s
favourite union boss”. Simpson last year claimed
he was out to give the prime minister “a
migraine”.
The rules drawn up when the unions merged make
it very difficult for them to split. However, if
the AEEU put its weight behind a demerger it could
force a union-wide
ballot.
