Ben Tillett MP
(1861-1943)

Died aged c. 82

Benjamin Tillett (11 September 1860 – 27 January 1943) was a British socialist, trade union leader and politician. He was a leader of the "new unionism" of 1889 that focused on organizing unskilled workers. He played a major role in founding the Dockers Union, and played a prominent role as a strike leader in dock strikes in 1911 and 1912. He enthusiastically supported the war effort in the First World War. He was pushed aside by Ernest Bevin during the consolidation that created the Transport and General Workers' Union in 1922, who gave Tillett a subordinate position. Scholars stress his evangelical dedication to the labour cause, while noting his administrative weaknesses. Clegg Fox and Thompson described him as a demagogue and agitator grasping for fleeting popularity.

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Commemorated on 1 plaque

Easton Time Signs Trail #1g

Ben Tillett 1861-1943 President of TUC and MP Born in Easton, Bristol in 1860. Founded the first unions for unskilled workers and a leader of the Great London Dock Strike of 1889. He went on to be a founder member of the Labour Party and the Daily Herald Newspaper.

8 Combefactory Lane, (upper Bannerman Road), Easton, Bristol, United Kingdom where they lived