The leaders of three public sector unions planning to open merger talks expressed confidence yesterday that members would back the move.
The three unions, IMPACT, the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU) and the Public Service Executive Union (PSEU)confirmed yesterday that they hope to begin merger talks in the summer.
A merger would create a powerful new union, the State's second largest, of more than 70,000 members.
An identical motion proposing the commencement of merger talks is to be put to each of the annual conferences of the three unions in April and May.
If delegates in all three unions back the plan, talks are to take place over the next two years with a view to finalising merger arrangements before the conferences of 2006.
The final outcome would be put to a ballot of the three unions' members.
The general secretaries of the three unions said yesterday they expected the proposal to win the support of delegates at the forthcoming conferences.
Mr Blair Horan, of the CPSU, said there was already a high level of co-operation between the three.
A combined union would have more influence and a greater capacity to deliver services to members.
Mr Peter McLoone, of IMPACT, said the general secretaries had begun discussions some months ago.
A "whole lot of issues" would have to be discussed but they believed the aim of 2006 for completion of the talks was realistic. There would be no "cutting corners" so the talks would not be completed before then.
The three unions were already strong, said Mr McLoone, so the aim would be to ensure that the quality of their services was not diminished in a new structure.
Mr Dan Murphy, of the PSEU, said the merger proposal was a natural progression from the existing level of co-operation between the three unions.
Of the three, the CPSU may encounter most opposition to the move.
The union, which represents civil servants on the lower clerical grades, rejected the benchmarking outcome and voted against Sustaining Progress.
Mr Horan, however, said the notion that the CPSU was "anti-partnership" was not correct. It had supported some partnership deals and rejected others. He expected an "active debate" at the union's conference in May.
