Union members give merger thumbs-up

United Voice and the National Union of Workers have moved a step closer to merging, with members overwhelming voting in favour of it.

The Fair Work Commission will now consider the ballot result - a "yes" vote of more than 95 per cent - and both unions will provide submissions to progress towards amalgamation.

NUW national secretary Tim Kennedy said the new United Workers Union - which is expected to have about 150,000 members, making it one of the biggest in the country - would be a significant voice for workers in the public and private sectors.

Members come from a wide range of industries including education, logistics, cleaning, building services, health and aged care.

United Voice national secretary Jo-anne Schofield said members wanted a powerful voice to take action on inequality and "win jobs they can count on".