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Bullying
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Introduction
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The Birth of the Amalgamated Transport &
General Workers' Union in Ireland and England
Prior to 1922 several constituent organisations of the founding amalgamation
of fourteen unions, known now as the TGWU, operated in Ireland. The
three most important of these constituent organisations operating
here from a British base were the National Union of Dock, Riverside
and General Workers (NUDRGW), the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General
Workers' Union (DWRGWU) and the United Vehicle Workers (UVW). We deal
with the NUDL in Dundalk (from 1915 to 1922) in a later Chapter.
The General Secretary ofthe former organisation was James Sexton,
with whom Jim Larkin quarrelled bitterly in 1909 and from which Union
Larkin defected as Organiser in Ireland and set up the Irish Transport
& General Workers' Union in that year.
The great Dock Leader, Ben Tillet, was General Secretary of the Dock,
Wharf, Riverside and General Workers' Union and led the historic national
strike for the 'Dockers' Tanner' (sixpence per hour) in 1912. Tillet
saw the need to widen and consolidate the unity of action which was
the key to the Dockers' success. He initiated discussion with other
dock and transport unions which led to the creation of the National
Transport Workers' Federation (NTWF) which paved the way for the amalgamation
of a number of unions and ultimately led to the birth of the T &
GWUin 1922.
The founding Conference of the amalgamation was held on May 11th 1921
(Appendix 1). The Rules Conference was held in September 1921 at
Leamington, and the T & GWU was formally inaugurated on January
lst 1922. The first Executive Officers were Harry Gosling, Presidetit;Stanley
Hirst, Financial Secretary; J. Cliff, Assistant General Secretary
and Ernest Bevin, General Secretary.
The fourteen Unions in the Amalgamation atJanuary 1st 1922 totalled
350,000 members and were:
Amalgamated Society of Water men, Lightermen & Bargemen Amalgamated
Carters, Lorrymen & Motormens' Union Amalgamated Association of
Carters & Motormen
Associated Horsemens' Union
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The local Union Office Dundalk
Dock, Wharf, Riverside & General Workers' Union
Labour Protection League
National Amalgamated Labourers' Union
National Union of Docks, Wharves & Shipping Staffs
National Union of Ships' Clerks, Grain _eighers & Coalmeterers
National Union of Vehicle Workers
Belfast Breadservers' Association
National Amalgamated Coal Workers' Union
:National union of Dock, Riverside & General Workers
National Union of British Fishermen
North,of England Trimmers & Teemers' Association
North of Scotland Horse & Motormens' Association
United Vehicle Workers
Belfast Breadservers' Association
Greenock Sugar Porters' Association
of the fourteen constituent Unions which amalgamated in 1922, four
operated in Ireland, viz:
Dock, Wharf, Riverside & General Workers' Union
National Union of Dock, Riverside & General Workers
United Vehicle Workers
Belfast Breadservers 'Association
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