The Transport and General Workers Union or TGWU or simply the "T&G" was formed in 1922 by the merger of fourteen separate unions largely engineered by Ernest Bevin who became its first general secretary. By a policy of merger and expansion it overtook the Miners Federation to become Britain's largest trade union in the late 1920s, a position it retained until the formation of Unison in 1993.

Over the years the TGWU has swallowed up a whole range of other smaller unions which are detailed below;

1922

• the Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen and Bargemen
• the Amalgamated Carters, Lorrymen and Motormen's Union
• the Amalgamated Association of Carters and Motormen
• the Associated Horsemen's Union
• the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Workers' Union
• the Labour Protection League
• the National Amalgamated Labourers' Union
• the National Union of Docks, Wharves and Shipping Staffs
• the National Union of Ships' Clerks, Grain Weighers and Coalmeters
• the National Union of Vehicle Workers
• the National Amalgamated Coal Workers' Union
• the National Union of Dock, Riverside and General Workers
• the National Union of British Fishermen
• the North of England Trimmers' and Teemers Association
• the North of Scotland Horse and Motormen's Association
• the United Vehicle Workers
• the Belfast Breadservers' Association
• the Greenock Sugar Porters' Association

• the North Wales Craftsmen and General Workers' Union
• the North Wales Quarrymen's Union
• the Scottish Union of Dock Labourers

• the United Order of General Labourers

• the Association of Coastwise Masters, Mates and Engineers

• the Weaver Watermen's Association
• the Irish Mental Hospital Workers' Union

• the Cumberland Enginemen, Boilermen and Electrical Workers' Union

• the Workers' Union

• the Belfast Operative Bakers' Union
• the Northern Ireland Textile Workers' Union
• the London Co-operative Mutuality Club Collectors' Association

• the National Union of Co-operative Insurance Society Employees
• the Portadown Textile Workers' Union
• the Scottish Farm Servants' Association

• the Scottish Busmen's Union
• the Altogether Builders' Labourers and Constructional Workers' Society

• the National Winding and General Engineers' Society

• the Electricity Supply Staff Association (Dublin)
• the Halifax and District Carters' and Motormen's Association

• the Power Loom Tenters' Trade Union of Ireland
• the Belfast Journeymen Butchers' Association
• the Scottish Seafishers' Union

• the Humber Amalgamated Steam Trawlers' Engineers, and Firemen's Union
• the Imperial War Graves Commission Staff Association

• the Port of London Deal Porters' Union
• the North of England Engineers' and Firemen's Amalgamation

• the National Glass Workers' Trade Protection Association
• the Radcliffe and District Enginemen and Boilermen's Provident Society
• the National Glass Bottle Makers' Society

• the Manchester Ship Canal Pilots' Association

• the Grangemouth Pilots' Association

• the Leith and Granston Pilots
• the Dundee Pilots
• the Methil Pilots

• the Government Civil Employees' Association

• the Liverpool and District Carters' and Motormen's Union

• the Lurgan Hemmers' Veiners' and General Workers' Union
• the United Cut Nail Makers of Great Britain Protection Society

• the Scottish Textile Workers' Union

• the Gibralter Confederation of Labour
• the Gilbralter Apprentices and Ex-Apprentices Union
• the Gibralter Labour Trades Union

• the North of Ireland Operative Butchers' and Allied Workers' Association

• the United Fishermen's Union

• the Cardiff, Penarth and Barry Coal Trimmers' Union

• the National Association of Operative Plasterers
• the Scottish Slaters, Tilers, Roofers and Cement Workers' Society
• the National Amalgamated Union of Enginemen, Firemen, Motormen, Mechanics and Electrical Workers

• the Amalgamated Society of Foremen Lightermen of River Thames
• the Irish Union of Hairdressers and Allied Workers
• the Port of Liverpool Staff Association
• the Process and General Workers' Union

• the Sheffield Amalgamated Union of File Trades

• the Scottish Commercial Motormen's Union
• the Watermen, Lightermen, Tugmen and Bargemen's Union
• the Chemical Workers' Union

• the National Union of Vehicle Builders
• the Scottish Transport and General Workers' Union (Docks)
• the Iron, Steel and Wood Barge Builders and Helpers Association

• the Union of Bookmakers Employees
• the Union of Kodak Workers

• the File Grinders' Society

• the Agricultural Workers' Union

• the National Amalgamated Stevedores' and Dockers' Union

• the Northern Carpet Trades Union