Union Democracy and the Challenge of Globalisation to Organised Labour in Ghana
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Union democracy and the challenge of globalisation to organised labour in Ghana Citation for published version (APA): Britwum Ankrah, A. O. (2010). Union democracy and the challenge of globalisation to organised labour in Ghana. Universitaire Pers Maastricht. https://doi.org/10.26481/dis.20100910ab Document status and date: Published: 01/01/2010 DOI: 10.26481/dis.20100910ab Document Version: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Please check the document version of this publication: • A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. 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If the publication is distributed under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the “Taverne” license above, please follow below link for the End User Agreement: www.umlib.nl/taverne-license Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us at: [email protected] providing details and we will investigate your claim. Download date: 25 Sep. 2021 UNION DEMOCRACY AND THE CHALLENGE OF GLOBALISATION TO ORGANISED LABOUR IN GHANA Akua Opokua Britwum Cover graphic: © Naa Norkor Nartey (Knork Studios) © Copyright: 2010, Akua O Britwum ISBN 978 90 5278 971 2 UNION DEMOCRACY AND THE CHALLENGE OF GLOBALISATION TO ORGANISED LABOUR IN GHANA DISSERTATION to obtain the degree of Doctor at the Maastricht University, on the authority of Rector Magnificus, Prof. dr. G.P.M.F. Mols in accordance with the decision of the Board of Deans, to be defended in public on Friday September 10th, 2010 at 14:00 hours by Akua Opokua Britwum Supervisors Prof. dr. Pim Martens Prof. dr. Kwame A. Ninsin, Ghana Assessment Committee Prof. dr. Harro van Lente (Chairman) Prof. dr. Joyeeta Gupta, VU University Amsterdam Ass. Prof. dr. Stephen Kendie, University of Cape Coast, Ghana Prof. dr. Valentina Mazzucato This Ph.D. research was supported by the Ghana NUFFIC, ‘MA Programme in Governance and Sustainable Development’ project (NPT/GHA/042). ‘Political freedom and the rights of workers are indivisible, and therefore national development and workers’ interests were inseparable.’1 1 Speech by President Nkrumah at the commissioning of the Hall of Trade Unions CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................12 1.1 Background.............................................................................................................12 1.2 Problem definition .................................................................................................18 1.3 Study questions and relevance.............................................................................20 1.4 Chapter composition .............................................................................................21 2 THE CONTOURS OF UNION GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY............26 Abstract ................................................................................................................................26 2.1 Globalisation and economic restructuring .........................................................26 2.2 The nation-state under globalisation...................................................................29 2.3 Restructuring the world of work and the shape of unionism..........................33 2.4 Conception of union role and relevance.............................................................38 2.5 Organised labour responding to globalisation ..................................................41 2.6 Collective organisation and interest representation..........................................47 2.7 Union renewal strategies and internal democracy—A conceptual framework...............................................................................................................54 2.8 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................61 3 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................64 Abstract ................................................................................................................................64 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................64 3.2 Delineating the study case....................................................................................66 3.3 GTUC and the case national unions....................................................................69 3.4 Choice of union strategies.....................................................................................80 3.5 Data gathering procedure.....................................................................................82 3.6 Analytical procedure.............................................................................................84 3.7 Emerging issues of research quality....................................................................86 3.8 Summary and conclusion .....................................................................................88 4 UNIONS STRATEGISING FOR RENEWAL ........................................................92 Abstract ................................................................................................................................92 4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................92 4.2 Union challenges....................................................................................................93 4.3 Union challenges in Ghana...................................................................................95 4.3.1 Privatisation and Work Restructuring ....................................................97 4.3.2 Labour Legislation..................................................................................104 4.3.3 Public Sector Reforms ............................................................................105 4.3.4 Perceived Utility of unions in the work place.........................................108 4.3.5 Internal Challenges ................................................................................110 4.4 Devising strategies...............................................................................................114 4.4.1 Organising: Expanding and retaining membership...............................116 4.4.2 Internal Restructuring ...........................................................................118 4.4.3 Political Action.......................................................................................120 4.5 Summary and Conclusion ..................................................................................122 5 UNIONS IN THE INFORMAL ECONOMY.......................................................126 Abstract ..............................................................................................................................126 5.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................126 5.2 The formal and informal in national economies..............................................128 5.3 Informal economy growth factors .....................................................................136 5.4 Informal employment types ...............................................................................138 5.5 The informal in Ghana’s economy.....................................................................141 5.6 Organising in the informal economy ................................................................144 5.7 Unions and informalisation................................................................................151 5.8 Organisational approaches.................................................................................157 5.9 Representation in union structures ...................................................................160 5.10 Summary and conclusion ...................................................................................166 6 GENDER DEMOCRACY AND UNION REPRESENTATION IN GHANA..170 Abstract ..............................................................................................................................170 6.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................170 6.2 Unions