ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the manner in which new sources of power were generated for women and other oppressed social groups. It draws on proposals for the new union written accounts of the merger process, policy outcomes in the form of the UNISON rule book. The chapter illustrates the extent to which traditional trade union issues dominated merger discussions. It analyses the concepts of proportionality, fair representation and self-organisation and argues that they indicate a pursuit of gender democracy, but fall short of putting oppressed social groups at the heart of the constitution. The chapter indicates that at vesting day, much remained unresolved within UNISON, ensuring that many issues of democracy would be negotiated at a later date. It concludes that UNISON has come close to reshaping certain aspects of democracy but that the final structure has been heavily influenced by arguments about which — and how — groups can continue to mobilise bias in their favour.
