ARCHIVES
VOL. 7, ISSUE 1 (2025)
Addressing inequities in Labour Law: The case of exclusion and unionization challenges in the security services and informal sectors
Authors
Dr. Samuel Obeng Manteaw
Abstract
Labour law and unionization have been through
several amendments to protect the interest of workers and employees in the
labour industry. Several provisions
in Ghana’s labour laws show significant advancement in its labour regime. The
tripartite approaches of engaging governments, employers, and workers in
negotiations and consultations provide added benefits.
However, there are inequalities and an incomplete balance, which
hinder the full operation and protection of the fundamental rights of workers
in the security services and informal sectors in Ghana. Labour law generally
protects the interests of all workers, but, in
Ghana, there are certain sectors excluded directly; and some indirectly, from
enjoying their fundamental right of freedom of association and unionization.
Again, an examination of the labour laws governing unionization reveals certain
loopholes and inequities in Ghana’s labour laws. Addressing these inequalities
will promote and develop the economic sector, protect fundamental human rights
and encourage positive work attitudes. The article highlights the inequities in
labour law where certain sectors of the public service (security services) are
excluded from the Labour Act, 2003 (“Act 651”), prevented from unionizing and exempted from certain expected pension
regimes. Some imbalances also affect informal sector workers. Thus, the fulcrum
of this article is an exposition of these inequities in Ghana’s labour laws and
a highlight of some of their adverse implications. This undermines the
fundamental freedom of workers to join any association or trade union and needs
to be redressed. After examining these inequities in Ghana’s labour laws, this
article further discusses the methods necessary to curb the problem. If
properly adopted by States, including Ghana, these recommended policies and
procedures will occlude the gap and loopholes in unionization and create
an even footing for all workers.
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Pages:5-14
How to cite this article:
Dr. Samuel Obeng Manteaw "Addressing inequities in Labour Law: The case of exclusion and unionization challenges in the security services and informal sectors". International Journal of Social Research and Development, Vol 7, Issue 1, 2025, Pages 5-14
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