A winch control apparatus for a crane, comprising: a winch drum around which a wire rope for suspending a suspended load is wound; an electric motor which drives the winch drum in a hoisting direction and a lowering direction; a rotational speed detection section which detects a rotational speed of the electric motor; a manipulation unit to which a hoisting manipulation for driving the winch drum in the hoisting direction is input; characterised by a load detection section which detects a load value of the suspended load; a brake which restrains the electric motor from a rotational movement; a brake control section which releases the restraint by the brake, when the hoisting manipulation is input; a first compensation torque value calculation section which calculates, when the hoisting manipulation is input, based on a difference speed between the detected rotational speed and a target speed according to a manipulation amount of the hoisting manipulation, a first compensation torque value for enabling the electric motor to generate a reverse-rotation-preventing torque which is a torque in the hoisting direction corresponding to the difference speed; a second compensation torque value calculation section which calculates, when the hoisting manipulation is input, based on the detected load value, a second compensation torque value for enabling the electric motor to generate a load bearing torque which is a torque in the hoisting direction and necessary for bearing a load of the load value; a command value calculation section which calculates a first command value for making a deviation between the detected rotational speed and the target speed to be zero, and adds the first and second compensation torques to the first command value to thereby calculate a second command value; and an electric power conversion unit which supplies an electric power according to the second command value, to the electric motor. a winch drum around which a wire rope for suspending a suspended load is wound; an electric motor which drives the winch drum in a hoisting direction and a lowering direction; a rotational speed detection section which detects a rotational speed of the electric motor; a manipulation unit to which a hoisting manipulation for driving the winch drum in the hoisting direction is input; characterised by a load detection section which detects a load value of the suspended load; a brake which restrains the electric motor from a rotational movement; a brake control section which releases the restraint by the brake, when the hoisting manipulation is input; a first compensation torque value calculation section which calculates, when the hoisting manipulation is input, based on a difference speed between the detected rotational speed and a target speed according to a manipulation amount of the hoisting manipulation, a first compensation torque value for enabling the electric motor to generate a reverse-rotation-preventing torque which is a torque in the hoisting direction corresponding to the difference speed; a second compensation torque value calculation section which calculates, when the hoisting manipulation is input, based on the detected load value, a second compensation torque value for enabling the electric motor to generate a load bearing torque which is a torque in the hoisting direction and necessary for bearing a load of the load value; a command value calculation section which calculates a first command value for making a deviation between the detected rotational speed and the target speed to be zero, and adds the first and second compensation torques to the first command value to thereby calculate a second command value; and an electric power conversion unit which supplies an electric power according to the second command value, to the electric motor.