Transport and General Workers' Union
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"T&G" redirects here. For other uses, see T&G (disambiguation).
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| Transport and General Workers Union | |
| Founded | 1922 |
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| Members | 800,000 (2006) |
| Country | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| Affiliation | TUC, STUC |
| Key people | Tony Woodley, general secretary |
| Office location | London, England |
| Website | www.tgwu.org.uk |
The Transport and General Workers' Union, also known as the TGWU and the T&G, is one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland - where it is known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU) - with 900,000 members (and was once the largest trade union in the world). It was founded in 1922, and its current general secretary is Tony Woodley.
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[edit] Campaigning
On May 25, 2005, the TGWU called the Government's plans for a British national identity card 'an enormous, costly and unnecessary diversion' despite their General Secretary and other representatives supporting its inclusion in the Labour Party's 2005 manifesto.
The union spearheaded the campaign for the registration of Gangmasters in the UK, sponsoring an Act of Parliament which received the Royal Assent on 8th July 2004. [1]
In a similar vein the union is campaigning for the offence of corporate killing to be incorporated into UK law. Such a law would ensure that:
- Fines imposed on convicted companies are far more punitive. Low fines will not act as a proper deterrent.
- If convicted of a health and safety offence, company directors should face imprisonment
- Robust legislation that would establish the crime of corporate killing in law, and ensure that company directors have a duty to safeguard the safety or their workers and the public [2]
[edit] History
At the time of its creation in 1922, the TGWU was the largest and most ambitious amalgamation brought about within trade unionism. Its structure combined regional organisation, based on Districts and Areas, with organisation by occupation, based on six broad Trade Groups. The amalgamating unions were:
Docks Group
- Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union of Great Britain and Ireland
- Labour Protection League (London, est. 1871)
- National Amalgamated Coal Workers' Union of Inland and Seaborne Coal Workers (London, est. 1889)
- National Amalgamated Labourers' Union of Great Britain and Ireland (Cardiff, est. 1889)
- North of England Trimmers' and Teemers' Association
Waterways Group
Administrative, Clerical and Supervisory Group
- National Association of Ships' Clerks, Grain Weighers and Coalmeters
- National Union of Docks, Wharves and Shipping Staffs
Passenger Services and Road Transport (Commercial) Groups
- Amalgamated Association of Carters and Motormen (Leeds, est. 1916)
- Amalgamated Carters, Lurrymen and Motormen's Union (Bolton, est. 1890)
- Associated Horsemen's Union (Greenock, est. 1894)
- National Union of Vehicle Workers
- North of Scotland Horse and Motormen's Association (Dundee, 1911)
- United Vehicle Workers
General Workers' Group
The Scottish Union of Dock Labourers and National Union of Dock, Riverside and General Workers in Great Britain and Ireland initially voted not to amalgamate, but joined before the end of 1922 nonetheless. The Greenock Sugar Porters' Union, Dundee Flax and Jute Stowers' Society, National Union of British Fishermen, and Belfast Breadservers' Association had also joined before the end of the year.
Many more unions have voted to merge with the TGWU since its inception, the most recent being the Community and Youth Workers' Union, whose members approved the merger on 13 September 2006, with the formal merger due to occur in November 2006, upon the approval of the Trades Union Certification Officer. For a full list, see the list of TGWU amalgamations.
[edit] The Future
During 2005 discussions started between the TGWU, Amicus and the GMB about the possibility of merging the three unions into one organisation with potentially 2.5 million members covering almost every segment of the economy. On 14 June 2006 the GMB Conference voted not to continue with discussions although the other two unions are proceeding. The Transport and General Workers Union is now Organising for the Future by developing a strategy for growth. Nearly one hundred organisers will campaign in workplaces to build union power through collective strength and change the union from a servicing and declining union to an organising and growing union.
[edit] Affiliations
- The British Labour Party
- The Irish Labour Party
- Trades Union Congress (TUC)
- Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC)
- International Transport Workers Federation (ITF)
- International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF)
- Union Network International (UNI)
- International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Association (IUF)
- Public Services International (PSI)
- International Federation of Building and Woodworkers (IFBW)
- International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITLGW)
- International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM)
[edit] General Secretaries
- Ernest Bevin, 1922-1945
- Arthur Deakin (acting), 1940-1945
- Arthur Deakin, 1945-1955
- Jock Tiffin, 1955
- Frank Cousins, 1956-1969
- Harry Nicholas (acting), 1964-1966
- Jack Jones, 1969-1978
- Moss Evans, 1978-1984
- Ron Todd, 1985-1992
- Bill Morris, 1992-2003
- Tony Woodley, 2003-
[edit] Amalgamations
The list of TGWU amalgamations highlights the scale of the TGWU policy of mergers, amalgamations and transfers of engagements which have contributed to its membership growth and the spread of its membership base.
