ILO supports GEA to train informal sector employers on productivity and Decent Work in Ghana
The International labour Organisation provides Technical and Financial support to the Ghana Employers Association to train 105 informal sector employers selected from seven affiliated associations of the Council for Indigenous Business Association (CIBA) on productivity and decent work.
18 December 2023
Accra (ILO News): Between the 13th and 17th November 2023, the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) organised a weeklong capacity building workshop on productivity and decent work for its affiliate trade association, the Council for Indigenous Business Association (CIBA). The workshop deepened participants’ knowledge on the concept of productivity, decent work, transition to formality, social dialogue, and its importance for enhancing enterprise level productivity and working conditions. The events brought together 56 men and 49 women drawn from seven affiliated associations of CIBA. The associations included the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA), Ghana Traditional Caterers Association (GTCA), Indigenous Caterers Association of Ghana (ICAG), Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association (GHABA), National Airconditioning and Refrigeration Workshop Owners Association (NARWOA), Ghana National Association of Traditional Healers (GNATH) and the Federation of Ghana Goldsmith and Jewellers’ Association (FGGJA).
The workshops also had representatives from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Government sharing their perspective, particularly on the role of workers and government to improve productivity growth as well as sharing fairly the benefit through improved working conditions for workers.
The maiden training workshop was held on the 13th and 14th November 2023 in Kumasi, Ashanti region, where participants were specifically drawn from the Northern and Middle belt of Ghana. Similarly, a second workshop was held in Takoradi on the 16th and 17th November 2023 for CIBA members within the Western and Coastal regions of Ghana.
Mr. Kingsley Laar, a Senior Research Officer at GEA welcomed participants on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, Alex Frimpong and provided the rationale for the workshop. He underscored the need for employers to enrich their knowledge and skills on productivity enhancing strategies to accelerate business growth and sustainability. He encouraged the participants to employ innovative, efficient, and decent work practices to improve profit margins and increase wages for industrial harmony. He also expressed his appreciation to the ILO for collaborating with Employers to spearhead issues of productivity among its constituent bodies in the informal sector. Mr. Laar further thanked the Government of Switzerland and Norway for supporting the Productivity Ecosystem for Decent Work project in Ghana.
Mr. Elijah Joe Neizer, in declaring the Trade Union Congress solidarity observed the need for continuous dialogue to ensure the recognition and protection of informal workers’ rights. He called for more training workshops on productivity to optimise the skills of workers to align with the changing technology at the workplace. He was optimistic that such trainings would provide the needed awareness for employers to recognise the immense role of workers in enhancing productivity.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Labour officer, the Ashanti Regional Labour Officer, Mr. Joseph Freedom Ezuh commended the Government of Switzerland and Norway for the funding support to the ILO. He urged the social partners to work closely to promote collective innovations that can enhance productivity and dialogue on working conditions fairly. He reaffirmed government's continuous support to creating a favourable socio-economic environment that supports productivity growth at all levels of the economy.
Speaking on behalf of the ILO, Ms Ana Podjanin, mentioned that social justice was central to ILO’s mandate and therefore by promoting decent work was one of the principals means of achieving social justice. Furthermore, she emphasized the virtuous cycle between enhanced productivity and improved working conditions, central to the approach of the project. She therefore entreated participants to actively engage and share their sector-specific experiences and ideas during the workshop.
The workshop ended with a call for GEA and CIBA to jointly develop a position paper on enhancing productivity and decent work in the informal sector, highlighting the perspective of the Informal Business Associations in Ghana. Additionally, there was a call for GEA to facilitate the transition to formality of members of CIBA through the sensitization on social protection modules and programmes for operators in the informal sector.
The workshops also had representatives from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Government sharing their perspective, particularly on the role of workers and government to improve productivity growth as well as sharing fairly the benefit through improved working conditions for workers.
The maiden training workshop was held on the 13th and 14th November 2023 in Kumasi, Ashanti region, where participants were specifically drawn from the Northern and Middle belt of Ghana. Similarly, a second workshop was held in Takoradi on the 16th and 17th November 2023 for CIBA members within the Western and Coastal regions of Ghana.
Mr. Kingsley Laar, a Senior Research Officer at GEA welcomed participants on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, Alex Frimpong and provided the rationale for the workshop. He underscored the need for employers to enrich their knowledge and skills on productivity enhancing strategies to accelerate business growth and sustainability. He encouraged the participants to employ innovative, efficient, and decent work practices to improve profit margins and increase wages for industrial harmony. He also expressed his appreciation to the ILO for collaborating with Employers to spearhead issues of productivity among its constituent bodies in the informal sector. Mr. Laar further thanked the Government of Switzerland and Norway for supporting the Productivity Ecosystem for Decent Work project in Ghana.
Mr. Elijah Joe Neizer, in declaring the Trade Union Congress solidarity observed the need for continuous dialogue to ensure the recognition and protection of informal workers’ rights. He called for more training workshops on productivity to optimise the skills of workers to align with the changing technology at the workplace. He was optimistic that such trainings would provide the needed awareness for employers to recognise the immense role of workers in enhancing productivity.
We are grateful to ILO and GEA for putting together this training. I must say that this will go a long way to deepen the understanding of employers in the informal sector on productivity and decent work. This topic has not been widely discussed and so the initiative is timely. As a way forward for CIBA, the executives have decided following the Kumasi training to establish a database management system for our members. It will help us track productivity of our members as well as the realisation of social protection for our workers. I will take this opportunity to call for support from stakeholders to implement the database to facilitate transition to formality and industry harmony"
John Nimo, Executive Secretary of CIBA
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Labour officer, the Ashanti Regional Labour Officer, Mr. Joseph Freedom Ezuh commended the Government of Switzerland and Norway for the funding support to the ILO. He urged the social partners to work closely to promote collective innovations that can enhance productivity and dialogue on working conditions fairly. He reaffirmed government's continuous support to creating a favourable socio-economic environment that supports productivity growth at all levels of the economy.
Speaking on behalf of the ILO, Ms Ana Podjanin, mentioned that social justice was central to ILO’s mandate and therefore by promoting decent work was one of the principals means of achieving social justice. Furthermore, she emphasized the virtuous cycle between enhanced productivity and improved working conditions, central to the approach of the project. She therefore entreated participants to actively engage and share their sector-specific experiences and ideas during the workshop.
The workshop ended with a call for GEA and CIBA to jointly develop a position paper on enhancing productivity and decent work in the informal sector, highlighting the perspective of the Informal Business Associations in Ghana. Additionally, there was a call for GEA to facilitate the transition to formality of members of CIBA through the sensitization on social protection modules and programmes for operators in the informal sector.