Arthur Ernest TiffinOBE (11 February 1896 – 27 December 1955), commonly known asJock Tiffin orA. E. Tiffin, was the thirdgeneral secretary of the BritishTransport and General Workers' Union (TGWU). He served for only a few months in 1955 before his death.

Tiffin was born inCarlisle. After leavingBishop Creighton School, he became a clerk on theLondon and North Western Railway, he joined theFoot Guards when the First World War broke out, later transferring to theRoyal Artillery. He was wounded and invalided home, where army doctors advised him to find a more active occupation than his previous office job in order to improve his health. In 1919, therefore, he became a bus driver for theLondon General Omnibus Company. Atrade unionist since 1912, he joined the Transport and General Workers' Union and rose rapidly through the ranks. In 1930, he was given the job of organising the workers on the company's newGreen Line services throughout London and theHome counties and two years later he became a full-time union officer as Outer London Passenger Organiser. In 1940 he became the Area Organiser of Area No.1 (London and South East). He also served for seven years as chairman of theLondon Trades Council, struggling in vain against its domination byCommunists (which eventually led to its disbandment by theTrades Union Congress (TUC)), and for four years as chairman of theLondon Labour Party. During the Second World War he commanded aHome Guardbattalion and was TUC representative on theTerritorial Army Advisory Committee.

In 1948, he was appointed assistant general secretary of the TGWU in succession toHarold Clay. In 1949, he was elected to theNational Executive Committee of the Labour Party. He was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1951.

In 1955, while elections were underway for his successor, general secretaryArthur Deakin died suddenly and Tiffin took over as acting general secretary. Later that year he was officially elected to the post, beatingCharles Brandon, who had previously been his superior as area secretary of Area No.1, as well asFrank Cousins,Tom Hodgson,Harry Nicholas, andBill Tudor. Three or four months after taking office Tiffin became seriously ill and died after just over six months as general secretary. He was succeeded by Frank Cousins, who had replaced him as assistant general secretary and acted as general secretary during his illness. Tiffin's short period of office was troubled by a dock strike and a dispute between the TGWU and theNational Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers.

• Biography,Who Was Who

• 1896 births
• 1955 deaths
• People from Carlisle, Cumbria
• Royal Artillery soldiers
• Military personnel from Carlisle, Cumbria
• British Home Guard officers
• British Army personnel of World War I
• General secretaries of the Transport and General Workers' Union
• Labour Party (UK) officials
• Officers of the Order of the British Empire

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