Gambia Workers' Union

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The Gambia Workers Union (GWU) ( German  Gambian Workers' Union ) is a trade union in the West African state of Gambia with headquarters in Banjul . It is affiliated to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC = International Trade Union Confederation ).

The current General Secretary is Ebrima Garba Cham (as of 2006).

history

The successes

The Gambia Workers Union was founded in 1956, when the Gambia was still a British colony, by Momodou E. Jallow , Henry Joof and others as a general union - but it was more of a trade union of the craftsmen.

The first organized one-day strike took place in February 1960, the day before the first elections , in the capital Bathurst (now Banjul ). The government avoided the confrontation and increased the minimum wage by 25 percent. The GWU achieved a high level of popularity and in the mid-1960s had a membership of over 1,100. Spurred on by the victory, Jallow organized a two-day strike in January 1961 to raise higher demands. A large demonstration by the population was broken up by the police and Jallow was accused of instigating a popular riot. The heated mood in the population brought the GWU together with the fight for independence at the time in Gambia. Jallow avoided a fine, and employers negotiated and eventually conceded a moderate increase in wages.

The crisis

Like the Bathurst Trade Union three decades earlier, the GWU was unable to continue its initial successes and lost its popularity from 1967 onwards. The problems arose from the fact that, under Jallow's decision in 1963, the GWU joined the ICFTU. This connection divided the members and encouraged the embezzlement of union funds by the officials. When Jallow went to the regional organization of the ICFTU in Lagos (Nigeria) between 1964 and 1965 , this further weakened the GWU. Likewise, the decision to support the United Party (UP) when the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) had plans to convert the Gambia into a republic was not very beneficial for general popularity and the GWU became enemies with the PPP. In 1966 even Jallow tried to run as an independent candidate against the popular Pierre Sarr N'Jie (UP) and against the PPP. Jallow's attempt to organize a general strike in February 1967 and thus regain popularity failed miserably. The support of the working population was divided, Jallow was no longer celebrated as a hero and, on the contrary, he was accused of impairing the efforts of the new Gambian government. The GWU had to declare its strike over on the second day and accept conditions that it had previously rejected. Another general strike, which was also unsuccessful, was held in January 1970. Since then, the GWU has only played a subordinate role.

literature

  • ICTUR et al., Trade Unions of the World., 6th, London, UK: John Harper Publishing 2005, ISBN 0-9543811-5-7
  • Arnold Hughes and Harry A. Gailey: Historical dictionary of the Gambia . Lanham, Md .: Scarecrow Press, 1999., ISBN 0-8108-3660-2