Mega-union no longer just a miner concern

THE CFMEU MERGER WITH THE MUA AND TCFUA

* Expected membership of 144,000, just over one per cent of Australia's workforce

* Likely to have hundreds of millions of dollars in assets, mainly thanks to the maritime and mining divisions

* Deep war chest for legal battles and paying fines

* CFMEU has been fined millions of dollars for breaching workplace laws

* Unions officially amalgamate on March 27

* New union will be the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU)

* Union bosses say it will push for better wages and more accountability from corporations

* Business groups say it will be a "disaster" because the two unions have a history of lawlessness

* Union says current laws restrict workers' rights and reform is needed.

(SOURCE: CFMMEU, Australia Mining and Metals Association)