MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK, US and Canada steelworkers union to become global

The United Kingdom's biggest trade union Unite is reportedly on the brink of merging with a counterpart in North America, reported on Sunday The Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Times.

A deal between Unite and the United Steelworkers' union (USW), is hoped to be sealed by the USW's convention in July, according to the newspaper report. An agreement would be a milestone in organised labor's efforts to deal with the globalization of business. The combined group would have more than three million members in the UK, the US, Canada and the Caribbean. Talks between the unions were held last week in London to thrash out the details of the establishment of the first transatlantic union. Although there are different labour laws in other countries, union officials hope that a combined group will increase their bargaining clout in talks with multinational conglomerates. It is thought the deal will eventually pave the way for the formation of a new umbrella organization, with a single management structure and leader. Labour unions from other regions, including from red-hot emerging economies in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America, are also being encouraged to co-operate. Unite Secretary General Derek Simpson has already held talks with counterparts in Australia and Europe. Unite represents employees at some of Britain's biggest companies, including defense firm BAE, Rolls-Royce, brewer Scottish & Newcastle and Scotland's only oil refinery, Grangemouth. The union is the product of last year's merger between the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) and Amicus.