The Railway Workers' Union (RWU) is a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

representing workers, other than engine drivers, on the railways in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

. The Railway Association was founded in 1926 in

Sekondi Sekondi-Takoradi is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi – Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly and the Western Region of Ghana. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city and an indus ...

, partly inspired by British railway trade unions, but specifically to protest against the refusal to employ technical staff on the same conditions as clerical staff. It launched major strikes in 1931 and 1939. In 1938, it was renamed as the Gold Coast Railway African Workers' Union. The Railway Enginemen's Union split away in 1939, and although it reunited in 1943, it again left in 1949, returning in 1962 but leaving again in 1966. The union affiliated to the Ghana Trade Union Congress, and took part in strikes in 1950, 1961 and 1971. By 1977, it had 13,587 members. However, a reduction of routes by the

Ghana Railway Corporation Ghana Railway Corporation operates the railways of Transport in Ghana, Ghana. The Ghana Railway Company Limited is a public-sector body with responsibility for the efficient management of the national rail system so as to enhance the smooth mo ...

led to a steady decline in membership, to 4,580 in 2000, and just 1,342 by 2018.{{cite web , title=Labour Market Profile 2020: Ghana , url=https://www.ulandssekretariatet.dk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Ghana_lmp_2020.pdf , website=Danish Trade Union Development Agency , access-date=8 July 2021

References

Railway labor unions Trade unions established in 1926 Trade unions in Ghana