Ghana’s employers and workers unite in a call for bold reforms to drive productivity and decent jobs

© Dikan Center

© Dikan Center

Ghana’s two leading social partners - the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have come together to call for a major policy reset.

Decent work is not just a goal, it's a shared responsibility. When workers thrive, enterprises grow and nations prosper.

Brother Joshua Ansah, Secretary General, TUC Ghana

A joint call for change

In a rare joint press conference on Monday, 15th September 2025, the TUC and GEA issued a joint statement that lays out key areas for policy change. The Government is called upon to ensure a more enabling macroeconomic context, characterized over the past years by major currency instability and crippling interest rates of over 20%. Second, a fundamental change in sectoral incentives is urgently needed, away from extractive industries and in favor of key sectors for both productivity and job growth, including manufacturing, agro-processing, transport, health, education and utilities. On their part, TUC and GEA committed to work together in ensuring wages would grow on par with enterprise and sectoral productivity gains.

Sustained productivity growth is the surest path to enterprise competitiveness, decent job creation, and long-term economic resilience.

Kingsley Laar, Economist, Ghana Employers Association

Evidence-based dialogue

The joint statement was informed by findings from a recent report by the Ghana Statistical Service, developed with the support of the ILO’s Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work programme. The report analysed three decades of productivity and employment data, and found that while labour productivity has increased steadily, this growth has been concentrated in the extractives sector and has not translated into broad-based economic transformation or job quality improvements. Tracking the performance of economic sectors in Ghana, the report found that commercial agriculture, transportation, utilities and manufacturing have the greatest potential for driving both productivity and decent job creation. The report also found that wage growth has lagged behind productivity, and that the gap appeared to be increasing in recent years.

To ensure broad understanding of these findings, the ILO convened a tripartite technical workshop involving representatives from workers' and employers' organizations, and key ministries including Labour, Industry and Trade, Agriculture, and Finance. The two-day session allowed for deeper discussion of technical insights and policy implications.

ILO support for policy reform

Following the workshop and report release, the ILO is currently supporting the Government of Ghana in reviewing its industrial and trade policies, as well as providing guidance on wage-setting. The unified call from the GEA and TUC lends additional momentum to this reform agenda and demonstrates the power of social dialogue in shaping inclusive, productivity-driven development strategies.

The joint call from employers and workers provides clear direction for national dialogue on how to accelerate both productivity and decent work gains in Ghana.

Dragan Radic, Chief, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Branch, ILO ENTERPRISES Department