Organising Rural Informal Agricultural workers for Decent work in Northern Ghana

Abstract

The interest in the informal economy nowadays is increasing because a large share of the global workforce and economy is informal. Agriculture remains a critical sector for developing countries and rural workers in particular. The agricultural sector provides employment, export earnings, guarantees incomes for small-scale farmers, and also remains critical if a broad-base development and poverty reduction is to be achieved. Yet, rural informal agricultural workers are confronted with diverse challenges and their activities are often characterized by widespread decent work deficits. The study sought to explore the extent to which organising rural agricultural workers help them achieve decent work objectives of employment, social protection and social dialogue in northern Ghana. The study adopted the qualitative research approach and explanatory multiple-case study design specifically. The purposive sampling technique was used to select respondents for focus group discussions, in-depth and key person interviews. The data was analysed thematically and guided by the study’s conceptual framework. The study found that while the majority of rural workers were engaged in agriculture, they were taking initiatives by themselves or with support from NGOs to address their challenges. The study concluded that through their organisation into community groups, rural agricultural workers are able to increase their productions and incomes. They are also able to access some social protection programmes and dialogue with relevant duty bearers to address their concerns. It recommends that interventions to promote decent work for rural agricultural workers should address the challenges linked to agricultural and non-farm economic activities.