Tom McCarthy

Thomas McCarthy (19 September 1899) was a British Irish trade unionist, who became prominent as a leader of dockers in England.

Born in Limehouse to parents from Ireland, McCarthy initially worked at a local shipbuilding yard. This industry was in decline, and he moved to become a carman, before finding work as a stevedore at the local docks. He joined the Amalgamated Stevedores' Labour Protection League in 1879, and in 1885, he was elected as the union's secretary. The post paid only a week, so he continued to work on the docks for his primary income.

The Stevedores' Union was a conservative organisation, taking little interest in current events, and focusing on restricting the admission of new members such that the total number of stevedores did not increase. McCarthy believed that its members would be in a stronger position if all workers at the docks were unionised, and he strongly supported Ben Tillett's efforts in forming the Tea Operatives' and General Labourers' Association.

Immediately after the strike, McCarthy was removed from his post by the executive of the Stevedores. Instead, he took up a full-time post as an organiser for Tillett's union, now renamed as the "Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union". He and Harry Orbell were the union's two organisers, also serving on its executive, and they were credited with maintaining the strength of the union after the strike. However, he had no connection with the city and although he attracted support from the local branches of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners and the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, Frederick Maddison, a Liberal trade union leader, persuaded much of the city's labour movement to back the incumbent, Charles Wilson. No Conservative Party candidate contested the seat at the 1895 UK general election, while McCarthy lost heavily to Wilson, taking only 17.4% of the votes cast.

McCarthy died suddenly in September 1899. He was buried at Tower Hamlets Cemetery.