Workers in ghana have exercised the right to form or join a trade union since the enactment of the trade union ordinance in 1941. Pdf this article examines the development of teacher unionism in ghana. Trade union services and benefits in africa edited by. A history of exploitation 4 in ghana, governments in the region abolished the marketing boards set up to purchase the cocoa from farmers at a set price and to distribute and sell it on the world market. Before unions were formed, employeremployee relations were based on a masterservant concept. This left small farmers directly at the mercy of world market prices. An act to amend and consolidate the laws relating to labour, employers, trade unions and industrial relations. Objectives, function, formation, regulation, rights and liabilities. The union was founded in 1960, when the commercial and allied workers union merged with four smaller unions, to form the industrial, commercial, and general national workers union. A history of exploitation antislavery international. A followup conference was held in april in tamale the same year giving birth to the ghana national union and thrift association, the forerunner of the ghana cooperative credit unions associationcua limited. Trade unions in ghana, trade unions and workers and labour.
Following a meeting sponsored by cuma international in lesotho in january, 1968 the idea of a national association in ghana was conceived. Industrial and commercial workers union ghana wikipedia. In 1900, a growing body of wage earners had been called into existence in the country following the expansion of the. Labour unions and the transformation of the nigerian civil. Trade unions are associations of workers formed to represent their interests and improve their pay and working conditions.
The years between 1989 and 1991 may be regarded as the period during which the zambia congress of trade unions zctu reached the height of its perceived influence in zambian politics. What role have trade unions and workers played in ghanas move toward political liberalization and democratization, in the past and in the recent199093 democratic transition. There have been various views on the role of trade unions in politics, particularly on the question of whether trade unions should or should not participate in democratization processes. The first part of the manual discusses this history not in a great detail but all the relevant historical events and processes have been adequately covered. In 1957, when the leaders of the former british colony of the gold coast sought an appropriate name for their newly independent statethe first black african nation to gain its independence from colonial rulethey named their new country after ancient ghana. Pages in category trade unions in ghana the following 9 pages are in this category, out of 9 total. Trapped between an ongoing informalisation of the african economies on the one hand and the consequences of. A thesis submitted to the department of history and political studies. Ghana succumbed to attacks by its neighbors in the 11th century, but its name and reputation endured.
The role and influence of trade unions in the oecd david g. Comparisons with lesotho dave cooper roger southalls article on trade unions in lesotho in the recent issue of salb is most welcome. Trades union congress ghanaian government britannica. Despite the weakness of the movement, the first recognized trade union in british colonial africa was formed in bathurst now banjul in 1933. In 1900, a growing body of wage earners had been called into existence in the country following the expansion of the civil and public services due to the. Role and impact of social dialogue in development policies in ghana 34 conclusions and recommendations 37 references 38 this publication has been produced thanks to the contributions of the trade union development cooperation network ituctudcn and the support of the csos partnership for development effectiveness cpde. The history of trade unionism, 16661920, by sidney and beatrice webb by passfield, sidney james webb, baron, 18591947. Bame, the teaching profession in the history of education in ghana. After the fall of the nkrumah government, the monopoly of the tuc was abolished, and other unions were read more. Unions like the gold and silver smiths association, the colony and ashanti motor union, and the carpenters and masons union were all founded in the 1920s. The history of trade unions3 in the gold coast4 stretches back to the beginning of.
The role that labour unions play cannot be overemphasized hence, the call for its involvement in the reform process of the civil service in nigeria. The tuc had its headquarters in sekondi in the western region ibid, 2007. The colonial government reacted by outlawing strikes. Associated society of locomotive engineers and firemen aslef. The duties of cua limited were to promote, educate, organize and support the credit union movement nationally and internationally. Trade union, collective bargaining, cba ghana mywage. The trade unions by the very nature of their economic demands are compelled to take to political action. Indeed, by 1987 the african labour movement, the form of in the congress of south african trade unions cosatu, was the single most powerful organised formation in the antiapartheid struggle in south africa3. These are autonomous bodies which pursue their own activities but within the frame work of their constitutions and their areas of legally accepted jurisdiction. Role of trade unions in workplace administration graphic online. Trade unions, development, and democratization in zambia. From the beginning unions could be viewed as a reflection of the racial disunity of the country, with the earliest unions being predominantly for white workers. References 1 2 3 ghana labour market profile 2016 pdf.
The politics and the economics of trade unions are basically one and inseparable. Despites arguments that trade unions were not in the forefront of nationalist struggles, apart from those in guinea and kenya,coleman,1964, the history of trade union activism in nigeria, from the 191922 when the nigeria civil service union led agitation for equal pay. It is formed for protecting the interests of workers. Trade unions in south africa have a history dating back to the 1880s. The core foundation of collective bargaining legislation in south africa was the industrial. Craft unions are made up of workers having similar type of skills and engaged in a number of industries. However, it is doubtful whether the two approaches can, or should, be. History ghana cooperative credit unions association. Africa, we can say that part of our history points to the importance played by organisations of workers in the fall of apartheid. Blanchflower dartmouth college, national bureau of economic research and centre for economic performance, lse revised.
Through the turbulent years of 19481991 trade unions played an important part in developing political and economic resistance, and eventually were one of. It is not possible to list all of them here, but we do certainly make mention of some of them. Whether temporary or permanent, primarily for the purpose of regulating the relations between workers and employers or between workers for imposing restrictive conditions on the conduct of any trade or business and. The history of trade unions in the united kingdom covers british trade union organisation, activity, ideas, politics, and impact, from the early 19th century to the present. A trade union which wants to obtain a collective bargaining certificate is required to make an application to the chief labour officer for a certificate appointing that trade union as the representative to conduct negotiations on behalf of the class of workers specified in the collective bargaining certificate with the employers of the workers. B y independence in 1964 malaw, hai d 19 trade unions with a membership of 4,763 ministry of labour 1969, however. Sep 02, 2014 david perfect describes the history of trade unionism in the gambia. Ghana has a long history of trade and this makes for welldeveloped and culturally embedded. Trade union movement in our country suffers from the following weaknesses.
The first quarter of the present century saw the birth of the trade union movement, but the seeds of the movement were sown much earlier. Trade union, also called labor union, an association of workers in a particular trade, industry, or company created for the purpose of securing improvements in pay, benefits, working conditions, or social and political status through collective bargaining. A trade union has to apply in writing to the chief labour officer for getting registered. The following is a list of major independent trade unions, which are solely accountable to their members and free from employer domination as it stood on 31 march 2012. There is very little trade union activity in small sector, agricultural labour and domestic sector. The trades union congress tuc was launched in 1945, twelve years before ghana gained political independence. Ghana trades union congress ghana tuc the ghana tuc was launched in 1945 as a national centre of trade unions, with the major objective of leading the rest of organised labour in protecting collective bargaining rights as well as in policy intervention concerning labour market and other national issues.
The central trade union in the country was the nigerian labour congress nlc, which was formed in 1975 as the umbrella trade union and recognized by decree number 44 of 1976 as the sole representative of all trade unions in the country see labor unions, ch. Role of trade unions in workplace administration graphic. A trade union generally negotiates with employers on behalf of its members, advocating for improvements such as better working conditions, compensation and job security. Labour act, 2003 international labour organization. Trade unions in ghana have a total membership of over 350,000 out of a total workforce of around 9 million. The trades union congress tuc of ghana is the main umbrella organization for trade union activities in ghana.
Nigeria where there are far more unions than that of ghana. With the exception of the former british colonies of nigeria and ghana, surprisingly little has been written on the trade union movements that have played such pivotal roles in the histories of the fifteen countries that comprise the economic community of west. Trade union, collective bargaining, cba ghana africapay. The trade union movement in ghana has a very rich history. These unions play an important role in industrial relations. It is made up of eighteen affiliated national unions. Profile of the labour market and trade unions in ghana. There was also the formation of trade unions by mine and railroad workers, especially mine workers unions in south africa in the 1920s and 1930s. Based on the false notion that african workers were target. Trade unions are concentrated in large scale industry sector and in big industrial centers.
Ghanaian trade unionism in perspective semantic scholar. A trade union is an association of workers formed with the object of improving the conditions of workers. Strikes and labour power in ghana article pdf available in development and change 102. This was a key theme in the early history of ghana s independence. The union played an active role in the struggle for independence, of ghana as a nation. Adewumi 1998 stated that the trade union congress in ghana was founded in 1945. This article seeks to be an analysis and not a detailed exposition of the history of ghanaian trade unionism in the two decades prior to the.
In particular, we have highlighted the role unions and their leaders played in the struggle for. The african labour research network alrn is indebted to all the workers, trade unions, and researchers who contributed to the production of this book. Although some trade unions have in the last three decades been organizing informal workers, very little has been attained 2. Hendriks abstract this paper focuses on informal workers in makola market, accra ghana, and the ways in which they organize for collective action. The role of trade unions in industrial relations bizfluent. The different policy positions of the south african trade unions should be understood in the context of the history of liberation in this country. General federation of trade unions uk scottish trades union congress. Traditionally, trade unions have organized from formal sectors. History of ghana gold coast british colony, history of ghana 19661979, elmina castle, ghana empire, ashanti empire, angloashanti wars, john kufuor, osei kofi tutu i, kofi abrefa busia, ignatius kutu acheampong alphascript publishing. However, the various definitions of a trade union exhibit two important features, i. Though there is a diversity of opinions in regard to the role of trade unions. There are two national trade union centers, the trades union congress of ghana and the ghana federation of labour.
Trade unionism has since grown to cover the majority of workers in the formal sector of the economy. Apr 29, 2020 the trades union congress tuc was launched in 1945, twelve years before ghana gained political independence. The trades union congress of nyasaland was formed in june 1956. Pdf trade unions, democratization, and economic crises in ghana. Trade unions in an emerging economy the case of south africa. Congress tuc is the main trade union centre in ghana with eighteen 18. An analysis of industrial relations practice in nigeria and.
Efforts that promote trade union unity, especially at national level, can. Trade unions in ghana first emerged in the 1920s and played an important role in the countrys. The gtuc as a central coordinating body for 14 union groups in 1945. For a long time, some commentators have suggested that the union ization of workers in the informal sector is not within the competence of trade unions. The content of this paper does not necessarily reflect the views of the education policy center or michigan state university. National association of graduate teachers nagrat ghana national secretariat p. The first part of the manual discusses this history not in a great detail but all the relevant historical.
Trade union movement in our country has a centurylong history. As in many other parts of africa, the first unions emerged from welfare organizations such as burial societies. At the time of its formation, the tuc had a total of 14 unions with a numerical strength of 6030. History ghana cooperative credit unions association cua. These unions can take part in the formulation, and become a member of any federation of trade unions or employers organization and participate in its lawful activities. Feb 14, 2017 hence, a trade union is an association of workers with the aim of promoting and protecting their economic and social interests. August, 1996 this project was funded under purchase order no. However, despite their relationship with political parties, trade unions should remain autonomous. In namibia and uganda unions have been incorporated by a oneparty dominated state while in ghana, unions insist on being autonomous. In 1954, the union proposed that the local unions be amalgamated along industrial groupings to make the union strong. Trade unionism emerged in the gold coast now ghana in the 1900s initially as craft unions in urban centres and gradually developed into industrial and national trade unions. These are autonomous bodies which pursue their own activities but within the framework of their constitutions and their areas of legally accepted jurisdiction.
As a result, the labour market was characterized by a strong racial division of labour that would persist for decades to come. Trade unions, democratization, and economic crises in ghana. Macroeconomic situation of ghana the 2010 provisional census results. In 1941, the trade union ordinance of 1941 was enacted, legalizing the formation of trade unions in the colony. Weak but feared by hubert rene schillinger march 2005 summary trade unions in africa are weak organisations with many internal problems. Cameroon roger tsafack nanfosso rema, dschang school of economics and management, university of dschang, dschang, cameroon abstract recent history of the trade union in africa highlights the fact that they are progressively interested 15 organisin ing the informal sector for various reasons. Labour and taxation under the authority of the trades union congress tuc, which was virtually an integral part of the government. It affiliated to the ghana trades union congress tuc. All about trade unions in ghana, trade unions and workers and labour laws in ghana, trade unions and wages and more on mywage ghana what is a trade union. Solidarity support to african trade unions, particularly of a financial and logistical kind, should thus be fashioned in a manner that helps unions move toward independence and selfreliance. An analysis of industrial relations practice in nigeria.
Trade unions are organised on the basis of crafts unions, industrial unions, general unions and on whitecollar unions. Different views are held about the role of trade unions what sociologists term as frames of reference in which classification is made. History of the trade union movement in ghana 18 2 legal framework and practice of labour relations 21 2. Introduction the issue of trade unionism and politics in africa in general, and in south africa in particular, is complex. The unions were registered under the trade union ordinance of 1941. There is also a move towards autonomy in senegal, despite the plurality of unions with party affiliations. Under the labour act 651, a trade union means any association of workers, the principal purposes of which are to promote and protect their economic and social interests. This book investigates the state of trade unionism in africas most populous regional economic zone.
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