PSEU annual conference: Plans to begin talks on the creation of a public service "super union" fell yesterday at the first hurdle when the idea was rejected by delegates to the Public Service Executive Union annual conference.
Delegates voted by a two-to-one majority to reject a unanimous recommendation from the PSEU executive that it open talks on a possible merger with IMPACT and the Civil and Public Services Union.
The surprise decision means that discussions between the three unions, which had been due to take place over the next two years with a view to creating the State's second biggest trade union, cannot now go ahead.
Leaders of the three unions had agreed to put identical motions to delegate conferences seeking authorisation for talks to begin. IMPACT and the CPSU hold their conferences next month, but yesterday's decision by the PSEU makes the proposal redundant.
A spokesman for IMPACT said the decision was a disappointment "but not a disaster, because we don't need a merger. We are still the fastest-growing union in Ireland." The proposed merger was "an opportunity" for IMPACT, but not a necessity.
IMPACT and the CPSU are likely to take their time before considering whether to discuss a merger of the two, without the PSEU. The IMPACT spokesman said there would be no "knee-jerk reaction" or any attempt to "cobble together" a new motion for next month's conference.
Delegates to the PSEU conference in Tralee were not swayed by the case for merger talks outlined by the union's general secretary, Mr Dan Murphy. He said the union's previous position was that there was no imperative to seek a merger with any other union.
However, the situation had changed towards the end of last year when the union had learned of the possibility of merger talks between IMPACT and the CPSU. This had created a new situation and it was considered to be in the PSEU's interests to join the discussions.
There was a danger, he said, that if IMPACT and the CPSU merged to create a powerful new union, the PSEU would find itself going "cap in hand" seeking to join this new union at a later date, but with "no negotiating position whatsoever".
He emphasised that the executive was seeking only to enter talks, and that a final decision would be put to a ballot of members.
A succession of speakers, however, raised concerns about the ability of a much larger union to provide the same level of service to members as the PSEU had done. "I remain to be convinced that bigger is better," said Mr Shay Martin of the An Post branch. "And I'm convinced that it's folly to try to fix something that isn't broken."
Mr Nigel Hutson of the third secretaries branch said there would be questions over democratic control and accountability "in this super union". He urged delegates to "nip this in the bud now and vote no".
