The media and entertainment union BECTU is to merge with Prospect next year after its membership voted decisively in favour of joining forces with the professionals’ union.
The ballot closed on 30 August with 83.4% of members voting in favour and 16.6% against. The merger will come into effect on 1 January 2017.
BECTU will become the largest sector within the merged Prospect union when its 27,000 members join with 14,000 members in Prospect’s communications media and digital division, where BT is the biggest of several employers.
The new 40,000-plus sector will continue to have industrial autonomy within the new union, with its own executive reporting to the union-wide and enlarged Prospect executive.
Gerry Morrissey, BECTU’s general secretary, said the decision by members will strengthen the new BECTU sector going forward.
“The pooling of our resources and experience with those of our new colleagues in Prospect will enable BECTU to provide an even better service for members; we’ll also be able to reach out to even more of the thousands of creative sector workers across media and entertainment who need advice and representation,” he added.
On behalf of Prospect, general secretary Mike Clancy said: “Joining forces puts us in the strongest possible position to deal with the challenges we face as well as securing the best possible service for the combined membership.
“The two unions have much in common, not least in our expertise in the fields of communications and media, and we will quickly adapt to working together.”