Staff at Britain's biggest trade union are facing redundancy after its leaders ordered significant budget cuts, the BBC has learned.
The executive council of Unite the Union has ordered budget cuts of 20% for some departments, sources say.
A union spokesman would not say how many positions were at risk, but admitted "expenditure reductions are being sought in almost all areas."
Unite represents two million members across the UK.
The spokesman added that "priority is being given to protecting services to members".
"As part of these reductions, a number of employees have applied for voluntary redundancy," he said. "The executive of Unite will continue to review the union's financial situation."
Recession fearsUNITE THE UNION
Formed by merger between Amicus and the TGWU unions in 2007
Joint General Secretaries Derek Simpson (Amicus) and Tony Woodley (TGWU)
Represents two million workers
The union is making the cuts because it expects the recession will lead to a substantial drop in membership and therefore income.
Mick Rix, national secretary of the GMB union, which represents Unite staff, said the GMB reps knew about the budget cuts and emphasised that any redundancies should be done on a voluntary basis.
Unite has been campaigning hard against redundancies at companies throughout the UK.
It has accused some employers of being 'trigger happy' and using the downturn as an excuse to cut jobs.
Unite represents workers across all industries, but its membership is heavily concentrated in the manufacturing and transport sectors, which have been hard-hit by the downturn.
The union was created by a merger in 2007, which was itself partly driven by financial difficulties at the two unions, whose membership had been declining for some time.
In 2008, Unite said it was planning to merge with the United Steelworkers in the US to form a global union to fight closures.