Economic Growth, Labour Standards and Social Equity: The Case of Ghana during Half a Century of Independence

Type Working Paper
Title Economic Growth, Labour Standards and Social Equity: The Case of Ghana during Half a Century of Independence
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2007
URL http://www.global-labour-university.org/fileadmin/Papers_Wits_conference_2007/A5/akorsu_paper.pdf
Abstract
In their quest to participate in the neo-liberal globalisation, many countries in Africa have, through the adoption and implementation of neo-liberal economic policies, undermined labour standards. Ghana is one of such countries. The importance of labour and labour standards was recognised by the Convention People’s Party (CPP), led by Kwame Nkrumah, in the decade after independence from British colonial rule (i.e., 1957 to 1966). For instance, out of the 47 ILO Conventions Ghana has ratified since it joined the ILO in 1957, 34 or 72% of them were ratified between 1957 and 1966 by Nkrumah’s CPP Government. The overthrow of Nkrumah marked the beginning of the end of socially-inclusive economic policies. Successive governments after Nkrumah have placed very little or no premium on labour standards. This was particularly so when Ghana adopted and implemented structural adjustment programme in the 1980s and 1990s. ince then, successive governments have either ignored labour standards or have not given them the attention they deserve.

Related studies

»
»
»
»