UNIONS should recruit non-unionised workers rather than “looking inwards” and “encroaching on others’ territory,” Civil Service union PCS heard yesterday as it endorsed a decision to report Unison to the TUC.

Moving the motion “more in sadness than in anger,” PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said Unison had breached TUC rules by holding onto members transferred to central government and seeking recognition without agreement from other Civil Service unions.

He said the two unions had agreed a “memorandum of understanding” that went beyond TUC rules, and that PCS had encouraged Learning and Skills Council employees transferred to local government to join Unison.

“It’s a shame this wasn’t reciprocated,” Mr Serwotka said, adding that Unison “went behind our back, directly to Francis Maude, at a time when the government had launched a vicious attack on trade unions, and got recognition.

“If we all follow our members everywhere, the only people who will gain will be employers and the government, who will see people squabbling against each other rather than uniting.”

The resolution, passed unanimously, endorses a complaint against Unison to the TUC.

It states: “Conference believes that we are upholding a vital principle that has underpinned unity within the movement for decades: that unions should not attempt to seek recognition in an organisation where another union already has a majority of the workers organised.”

The conference also approved a motion expressing “disappointment” at senior Civil Service union FDA’s decision to offer membership to two grades normally represented by PCS.

Revenue and Customs HQ delegate Dan Ingreji said that in spite of pledges they would not aim to recruit unionised workers, “the reality is that they will start poaching PCS members.”

“They made sure there was no reverse takeover by the plebs allowed in, and said that no more than four members [of the new grades] would be allowed on FDA executive,” he added.

He called for “full and proper explanations from the FDA” and suggested the unions “agree a code of behaviour as a matter of urgency.”

Both Unison and FDA declined to comment.