GPMU general secretary Tony Dubbins, said the result was, a tremendous endorsement of the unions executive council proposals.

With regard to next-stage options, Dubbins said the GPMU would now look to open talks with Amicus, which would involve formal documents being prepared by lawyers.

He envisaged this would take at least a couple of months, after which another ballot would be needed to provide a final endorsement of the formal proposals.

The postal ballot firmly endorsed the recommendation made by the GPMUs executive council to side with Amicus as opposed to the blue collar Transport & General Workers Union.

Of the GPMUs 100,000 members, 26,976 endorsed merger talks with Amicus, while 9,803 cast their vote in favour of the T&GWU. The resulting turnout of 38.27% was described by the GPMU as high.

The decision, was supported by 25 of the GPMUs 27 branches.

Dubbins said: This now gives us the opportunity with Amicus to build a first-class, modern union for the 21st Century that will continue to represent those members needs.

We are convinced that issues which bind GPMU and Amicus members together, including organisation and recruitment, learning and skills, employment rights at work, European issues and our political work will be strengthened by this decision.

An investigation by Police into a possible theft of the GPMUs database was still on-going, Dubbins said (PrintWeek, 5 February).

The GPMUs database is handled by Liverpool mailing house CDMS.

Story by Tony Brown and Andy Scott