The big reunion? The big split

Off tonight to the meeting of one of our professional associations - Association of Professional tourist Guides, known univerally as APTG - in which the issue of merging with the Guild of Registered Tourist Guides, known simply as the Guild, will be discussed. There was a meeting a few weeks ago in August, when Guild/APTG do not generally have their own meetings, to discuss 'the future'. Lots of guides, especially London Guild members would like to see a unification but a combination of institutional paralysis, the problem of what to do with out of London guides who do not charge the same level of fees as those in London, and old fashioned bitchiness have prevented this happening before.
The whole thing came about because around fifteen years ago the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) threatened to take the Guild to court for setting fees for guides - which they deemed anti-competitive - and so the union then called MSF (now Amicus) stepped in and offered union status which would have given guides the right and muscle to fight the issue in the courts - they promised to go all the way to the European Court if necessary. Guild members voted not to unionise, which was a little precious, guides regarding themselves as being above trade union membership, part of a mystery, not concerned with mundane things like making a living.
However, some committed guides, who relied on the fee system to make a living, broke away to form APTg which was union affiliated. Since then the Guild has been told it can set advisory fees (not compulsory as before) and so we now have two sets of fees, two organisations, enormous duplication of effort and the need to find two lots of volunteers to produce two lots of publications. It is all very wasteful and, rather than an at first acrimonious, but now amicable divorce, remarriage is being touted. While most guides would probably be in favour, there are enough guides who are not and enough administrative problems to give the prospect a less than even chance of success. We shall see...