Employers still at a loss over super union Unite’s plans

Most employers are still in the dark about the motives and ambitions of super-union Unite, five months after its formation from the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers’ Union.

Exclusive research from Personnel Today, sponsored by law firm Eversheds, revealed that 55% of HR professionals with Unite members among their employees have yet to hear from a Unite representative.

Those who had said the message mostly concerned union structure and main points of contact.Nearly two-thirds of the 500 HR professionals surveyed said Unite had not yet briefed members of their workforce.

Respondents who were aware of briefings reported that they typically concerned membership benefits and background information on the merger.

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Martin Warren, partner and head of the Human Resources Practice Group at Eversheds, said: “The new union is not yet six months old, and it is easy to imagine that time may have been spent on internal matters to date.

“But the union is now in a position to spell out to employers and member employees alike what it stands for, and what its priorities are going to be.”