The Timber and Woodworkers’ Union was given recognition as one of the seventeen National Unions affiliated to the Ghana Trades Union Congress in accordance with the Industrial Relations Act at an extra-ordinary dele- gates conference held in April, 1959 at the Cape-Coast Town Hall, where the New Structure of the Ghana T.U.C. was adopted. Until April, 1959, the T.W.U. was known as “Amalgated Sawmill Employees ‘Union” having its head office at Dunkwa-on-Offin. Mr. B.N. Myer – a Liberian National who was a timekeeper at I.H.L. Sawmill at Dunkwa-on- offin, was the President with Mr. Akom-Mensah, a Specification Clerk at I.H.L as his Private Secretary, on part-time basis. The principal objective of the Amalgamation was to organise all non-man- agement employees in sawmills and other woodworking industries in the country in order to have a National Collective Agreement on minimum

wages/salaries and Basic conditions of service. It is no wonder therefore that the pioneers of the T.W.U. chose “Organise” as the Motto of the Union. This special salutation is not only an expression of unity and solidarity which should at all times prevail amongst members, but also serves as a means of identifying fellow members with whom one is not familiar, particularly those from branches other than ones own, to create awareness of oneness of all with one objective. Within the scope of this brief history, an attempt has been made to keep the present and future members and officers of the T.W.U. informed of the struggles and hardships the founding members went through in the early days to make the Union what it is today hoping that it will inspire them to uphold the achievements’ of the pioneers so that their toil and labour will not be in vain.