Don't believe everything you read in the papers that the new all singing, all dancing super union is a done deal, writes David Hencke.
Built up as the most dramatic development to hit the trade union movement for years, the creation of a new union from the T&G, Amicus and the GMB with a potential 2.4 million members is seen as body that can dictate or leave the TUC and have a huge block vote - over 20% - at Labour party conference.
All this is academic if the deal doesn't come off - and frankly its success has been exaggerated. So far, all that has happened is that the unions have talked about the principles behind the idea and confidentially exchanged details about their finances.
The real talks will begin after the TUC conference and then realpolitik will dominate, not academic ideas.
The truth is that the three unions have very disparate structures and officials are going to very reluctant to cede territory and jobs to their partners in the new union.
The GMB for example, with its 600,000 members, is run by a regional baronocracy - what regional general secretaries decide is more important than who is general secretary.
After the bruising internal row over the fate of its deposed general secretary Kevin Curran - the regional barons at the GMB are not going to lightly be swallowed up by a giant new structure. They could well pull out and decide instead to continue their policy of recruiting new members in growing areas - like casinos for example.
Amicus and the T&G do not fit together easily together either due to issues about centralisation, views over Europe and, for that matter, the role of the TUC. The general secretary of Amicus, Derek Simpson, is conspicuous by his absence at TUC committee or general council meetings.
All this will have to be thrashed out in negotiations, and at future annual conferences. In other words, there is no easy answer - and certainly no action until 2008.
