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Momodou
Denmark
11644 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Apr 2007 : 16:48:10
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Continued from: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3404
FOCUS ON POLITICS
SHED MORE LIGHT ON M.E JALLOW
With Suwaibou Touray
Dear Columnist,
I am a reader of your most informative column (Focus on Politics) which I must say I enjoyed reading very much. However you have been mentioning Mr. M.E Jallow as a Union Leader in your articles since colonial times. From what I have read so far, Mr. Jallow has done a lot of contribution for not only Gambia’s Trade Unionism but also to the politics of both Pre-Independence and post independence era. This is why I, in particular, and I am sure many other readers would appreciate if you can shed more light on him in your next issue.
Yours sincerely,
a reader.
M.E Jallow Veteran Unionist, Great Leader and Keen Visionary
Thank you very much for your request. It is my plan to write on individuals who have made contributions during those difficult times, not right now but in the near future. However, one cannot ignore such an important and timely request, but to give a clue.
According to information, Mr. M.E Jallow is translated as Momodou Ebrima Jallow. He was the son of Mr. Ebrima (John) Jallow and Amie Njie. According to Mr. Man Joof, in a publication for a programme to re-name one of Banjul’s Old Streets- Hope Street- to M.E Jallow, it was mentioned that he was born at George Town on the 15th January 1928 in the protectorate, the Administrative Headquarters of Macarthy Island Division, now Central River Region.
According to records, he attended the St. Augustine’s Primary and Secondary Schools. He was said to be a very popular sports man and an outstanding scholar; that he worked in the Department of Education as a Civil Servant and later took up the job of Co-Operative Inspector and Organizer at the inception. Mr. Jallow was said to be very versed in the Holy Quran and attended the Masamba Ceesay Dara at Lancaster Street, Banjul.
By 1957, Mr. Jallow started the commercial and Industrial Worker’s Union after a brief strike at the Middletons Constructional Works at Denton Bridge. He then attended the ICFTU course in Kampala, Uganda and appraised himself with trade Union duties.
On his return, he set upon organising a National Union which resulted in the formation of The Gambia Workers Union which he headed. This union got affiliated to the ICFTU where he was appointed as the Regional Secretary General (Africa) with office in Lagos, Nigeria in 1964. Prior to this he was Secretary General of W.A.Y (World Assembly of Youths) in 1960.
According to the publication, the foundation of The Gambia Workers Union paved the way for predominance of the labour movement for the next Quarter of a century.
Between 1961 to 1965, the union was engaged in a series of general strikes which secured what is called the “Longed” for Government and Commercial recognition for Gambian Workers.
The creation of (Joint Industrial Councils) and the negotiations for minimum wage workers proved successful and further enhanced the popularity of the union. As you might be aware, the history of trade unions in The Gambia and, in particular, the G.W.U shows that it was not always easy and a successful course. From its inception in 1957, it underwent a period of organisation and transformation into a General Workers Union.
According to Mr. Man Joof’s article “The General strikes of 1961 raised the popularity and increased Membership to its height. Right up to Independence the Union wisely agitated for Independence but upheld a strict Neutrality in Politics. But the Unions opposition to the first Republic whilst he was away in Nigeria on AFRO’S mission caused some internal rupture and antagonised the Government for calling what they considered as irresponsible strikes by Members. Strikes in 1967 to 1970 further prejudiced the Government towards the Union. The Government from 1975 considered the Union dangerous to allow it to operate and in Jan 1977 the G.W.U Certificate of Registration was withdrawn. This introduced a New Course in the Labour History of The Gambia.
With the participation of the CNTS of Senegal, Jallow and others set up a Trade Union Centre, The Gambia Workers confederation with Jallow as its Head and Leader. Jallow later accepted the Government’s invitation as a nominated M.P for Labour. This unfortunately was prevented by his death in 1987 at the age of 58 years.
Jallow was a great Leader with a keen vision for the future of The Gambia. He gave talks and Trained in Workshops and seminars. Jallow was a member of the London Constitutional talks for independence where he met with Parliamentarians in the British House of Commons. He had an alert mind and was a well read man. He took great interest in social works and was over generous to the needy. He secured scholarships for many to study abroad and paid the school fees of many children in the country.”
His watch words were solidarity and unity. His kindness and sympathy had no limits and that he was said to have been a champion of the underdog.
According to research, given the sensitivity of the colonial and post colonial state to urban and rural mass protests, it might be imagined that the workers with their tradition of militant resistance and their high degree of bargaining power, constituted an important force for change within the political economy.
Many governments who do not intend to give workers their rightful dues tend to keep workers and their unions at bay. They would sometimes even want to control their leaders by way of coercion or inducement. But workers generally, as was the case in Gambia, were said to be not interested in seizing political power. Research, infact, showed that workers do not even possess a vision of alternative socio-economic order, except some vague notions of a more democratic and more prosperous society.
Observers noted that workers were not even interested or are not bothered much about what system of government is in place, as long as the politicians are honest, prepared to listen to their grievances and demands and to deliver the goods.
As in the 1975 general strike, according to the Outlook, unions in the Gambia were thrown asunder by party politics instead of unity as a body that serves as a representative of their true aspirations.This instead led workers to tend to adopt an attitude of indifference to trade unionism in general.
According to the ‘Senegambian Sun’, some joined groups servile to political parties and as such, party allegiance came before union allegiance. But the outlook maintained that, what caused distress was the unprecedented sharp increase in the prices of foodstuffs especially the basic commodities, groundnut, rice, meat, fish, etc.
This was why by 1975, the’ Wallers Report’ according to the “nation” could not address or reduce the disparity but instead, it was seen to have widened it. This must have forced unity on the various unions. And the GUC workers, i.e., the technical employees, threatened to down tools if their grievances in normalizing the difference were not met.
This was why, on Monday 15th November 1976, which was called “Red letter day,” GUC workers stormed the ministry of labour and warned the then Minister of Labour, Mr. Kalilu Singhateh, of an eminent strike action.
Mr. M.E Jallow called on the minister and explained their mission but said it would be beyond his powers to restrain workers if on a given date their demands were not met. He told the Minister, “We are following Waller’s Commission Report.”
After this meeting, according to the Outlook newspaper, many of the GUC workers, such as Mr. J.D Cole, Personnel Manager, Mr. Akie Allen, a graduate Engineer, Mr. Eddy Ndow, superintendent engineer, Mr. Yusufa Samba, Mr. Sheikh Jobe, Mr. Bruce Oliver, Mr. Benjamin Roberts, Mr. Garnet Coker, Mr. Davies, Mr. Ebou Gaye, Mr. Jagne and a few others, were all dismissed.
This irritated the workers until they all downed tools. The Outlook said the information they got was that the then Field Force (paramilitary) went from house to house and collected workers, some detained right away; others were told to appear in court. What was the result, on the 18th November 1976, the entire community was deprived of water and electricity service without notice because all other workers had to walk out in sympathy with those who were arrested thus prompting new negotiations.
According to Mr. Man Joof’s article, after 1975, Government’s tolerance of labour movements was reduced markedly till 1981 when unions were allowed to begin the process of Registration, and by 1985, Mr. Jallow was part of a panel that drafted the new Labour Act, 1990.
Mr. M.E Jallow alias Jallow-Jallow died in 1987 after a brief illness. On 12th December 1998, during the ceremony to re-name Hope Street after him, Workers made a procession from Edward Francis Small Memorial Ground, near Gamtel in Banjul to Jallow-Jallow Street with the song, famous during the strikes; “We shall not be moved.”
Continued: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3443
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 37/2007, 30th March – 1st April 2007
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