Gambia Workers' Union

The Gambia Workers Union ( GWU ) ( German Gambian Workers' Union ) is a trade union in the West African nation of Gambia, based in Banjul. It is affiliated to the International Federation of Trade Unions ( ICFTU = International Trade Union Confederation ).

Current Secretary General is Ebrima Garba Cham ( 2006).

History

The successes

The Gambia Workers Union was in 1956 when The Gambia was a British colony still, founded by Momodou Jallow E., Henry Joof and other persons as a general union - but was rather a union of craftsmen.

The first organized one-day strike took place in February 1960, on the eve before the first elections, in the capital, Bathurst (now Banjul) instead. The government avoided the confrontation and then increased the minimum wage by 25 percent. The GWU reached by a high popularity and peaked in the mid-1960s a number of members over 1100. 's Win inspired Jallow organized in January 1961 a two-day strike to make higher demands. A major demonstration of the population was dispersed by the police forces and Jallow was accused of having incited a riot. The heated mood of the people brought the GWU with the struggle for independence to the time in The Gambia together. Jallow escaped a disciplinary penalty and the employer negotiated and finally stood a modest pay increase.

The crisis

The GWU was, as before, three decades earlier, the Bathurst Trade Union not build on their early successes and lost their popularity in 1967. The problems arose from the fact that under Jallows decision in 1963, the GWU joined the ICFTU. This connector split the members and promoted the embezzlement of union funds by the officials. As Jallow went in 1964 to 1965, the regional organization of the ICFTU in Lagos ( Nigeria ), which further weakened the GWU. Likewise, the decision was the party United Party (UP) to support, as the ruling party People's Progressive Party (PPP ) had plans to transform The Gambia into a republic, not conducive to the general popularity and the GWU feuding with the PPP. In 1966 even Jallow as an independent candidate against the popular Pierre Sarr N'Jie (UP) and to compete against the PPP. Jallows attempt in February 1967 to organize a general strike and thus to gain popularity again, failed miserably. The support in the working population was divided, Jallow was no longer celebrated as a hero and he was on the contrary accused the impairment of the efforts of the new Gambian government. The GWU had to explain on the second day to be over and agree to terms that she had previously knocked off their strike. Another general strike, which was also very successful, was held in January 1970. Since then, the GWU played only a subordinate role.