Transport and General Workers Union

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Image:Transport and General Workers Union Central Office 1.jpg Image:Transport and General Workers Union Central Office 2.jpg 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.

1 Campaigning
2 History
3 General Secretaries
4 See also
5 External links

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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.

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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

Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen and Bargemen

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.

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