On Monday, 27th March, the ILO Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work team, accompanied the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Ms Simone Giger and her colleagues, to visit the Dignity DTRT apparel factory in Accra.

Dignity DTRT (which stand for "Do The Right Thing") is a manufacturer of garments in Ghana with a sustainable business model and provides quality and well remunerated jobs to their 5000 workers at their two Ghanaian facilities in Accra and Tema. Indeed, it is in their mission statement to set an example on how to treat workers. “At DTRT Apparel, we don't just find it beneficial to treat our workers well, we find it strategically essential to the success of our company”. The company provides better salaries than other businesses in the sector, and provides social protection to their predominantly female workforce.

The Managing Director, Ms Salma Salifu, the Chief Operating Officer, Mr Wasantha Perera and their colleagues explained the business model and the way the company operates. In terms of sustainability for example, waste management is a key focus area for staying competitive, as well as preserving good working conditions for their employees, and environmental sustainability. By recycling materials cast-off during the production of their garments, the company makes impressive savings on input and transportation costs. Furthermore, this can contribute to a more circular production process. The previously wasted fabric is now repurposed, and the company plans to build capacity in spinning synthetic fabrics using recycled PET materials in the near future.

The discussions between the Swiss and ILO teams with the company management also touched upon the topic of productivity, and in particular how productivity gains can be reached through the introduction of new technology, and by reskilling or upskilling workers to make efficient use of the new tools.

The Swiss Ambassador with her delegation, and the ILO team, had a valuable opportunity to also visit the production facilities and to meet and discuss with staff on the factory floor.

This is just one example of the factory visits that the ILO team are making to businesses in the garment and shea sectors to build knowledge and understand best practices in the programme’s selected industries. Currently in its inception phase, the programme is funded from 2022 to 2025 with the aim of improving productivity and decent work through interventions at each level of the economy. For more information visit Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work Ghana.