Ghana hosts international conference organizing the informal sector

An International conference on organising workers in the informal economy opens in Accra toady, September 25. It aims at reviewing activities of the International Coordinating Committee, (ICC), which comprises the Ghana Trades Union Congress, (TUC), Self Employed Workers Association, (SEWA) of India, Street Net International and Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC). The rest are HomeNet South East Asia and CROX of Mexico.

The ICC in 2003 held its first international conference on organising workers in the informal economy in India.

The said conference resolved to work with the ILO, Global Unions and national trade union centres to redress the neglect of workers in the informal economy. It is on record that the ICC has since its inception taken various initiatives in furtherance of the resolutions.

One hundred and twenty participants from national trade union centres, informal economy operators, global unions, research institutions and other social actors from Asia Pacific, Latin America and Europe, as well as Africa regions are attending the workshop, which is being hosted by Ghana’s TUC.
The Deputy Secretary General of the TUC in charge of Operations, Mr. Kofi Asamoah said the aim of the conference is to share experiences among informal economy organisations and develop strategies to intensify organisation in the informal economy.

Thematic areas for discussion at the conference include collective bargaining and representation, social protection and employment and skills development. Others will be on law and policies and organising strategies.

He said it will also build a network of informal economy organisations and identify processes of representation at international level.

“The ICC’s aim to organise workers in the informal economy represents an important initiative in bringing to the attention of the world direct experiences, the working conditions of workers in the informal economy who suffer all forms of abuse and are involved in hazardous jobs of earning a living in many countries of the world.”

In Ghana, statistics indicates that 90% of the economy is in the informal sector. This often refers to workers who are self employed because they are unable to find other jobs or start businesses in the formal economy.

These people are often not recognised or protected under the law. They are ignored in social security arrangements and often work under conditions that lower their dignity and freedom.

A conference in 2002 by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) placed the plight of workers in the informal sector on its agenda, as it noted that majority of people in the world work in that sector.


Running alongside the conference will be an exhibition and sale of traditional crafts from different countries by participants and a cultural evening where participants will present items such as traditional songs or dances wearing traditional attire from their countries.

Mr. Linus Nkomba from the Nigeria Labour Congress said victims of globalisation and liberal economies all over the world often constitute the informal sector.

“People are now forced into precarious employment that does not hold a future for them.” He added the conference is necessary in order to give a large proportion of working people a voice so that democracy will not be in danger.