ABSTRACT
Trade unions are collective actors, dependent on members (Mitgliederorganisationen) for their financial resources and for their political resources in conflicts with employers and governments. Trade unions are also intermediate organisations in that they are embedded in a particular social and political milieu from which arise a range of imperatives concerning structure and activity. To analyse the merger process on this understanding a framework based on the politics of bargaining was developed. Our analysis referred to this framework in identifying the factors that impinge upon the merger process, such as the identities, norms and cultures of the unions as collective actors and the economic and political resources available to unions. Furthermore, differences in the merger processes arise from variations in the structure of union movements, national regulatory regimes and types of capitalism. In analysing and comparing mergers in Britain and Germany we have demonstrated that there are very similar underlying reasons that promote mergers. In brief, the impetus for many decisions to merge came from diminishing financial resources, arising from losses of members, which threatened solvency or had resulted in insolvency. In addition, shifts in the composition of the labour force undermined some of the demarcations established between unions. A further factor that promoted mergers was the prospect of obtaining a stronger bargaining position in relation to employers and employers’ associations, which may also have been connected to acquiring an improved standing in relationships with governments and with other unions. These factors were thus concerned with stabilising or increasing political resources.
