UNISON

Britain's largest trade union with 1,343,000 members (2006): 944,356 female, and 398,644 male. It was formed on 1 July 1993 by the merging of the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE), the Confederation of Health Service Employees, and the National Local Government Officers Association (NALGO).

Its general secretary from 2001 is Dave Prentis. It operates two political funds: a general one and one affiliated to the Labour Party. Its members can contribute to either, both, or neither. It publishes its own journal UNISON.

unison

Term used to describe music in which all musicians play or sing the same notes without harmony. Strictly, unison implies that all musicians sound the same pitch in the same octave, but it is also used for the same pitch doubled at the octave.