Ghanaian Labour against the Coronavirus

Ghana is one of West Africa’s most populous and economically vibrant countries, with a large working population and comparatively strong trade union movement. When the coronavirus hit, the government acted quickly in alliance with civil society and the trade unions and managed to slow transmission considerably. Today, some measures are already being rescinded. Bruno Sonko spoke with Mary Kamiru of Ghana’s Trade Union Congress to learn more about the state’s response and the role played by organized labour.

What have you learned about COVID-19, especially in Ghana?

The outbreak and spreading of COVID-19 has disrupted the global economy to unimaginable levels. When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global pandemic on 11 March 2020, there were 118,400 confirmed cases worldwide. Ghana recorded its first case and first death of COVID-19 on 12 and 21 and March, respectively. By 5 May, 15:50 GMT, the number of confirmed cases globally had increased more than 25-fold, hitting a record of 3,677,374 cases with 253,793 recorded deaths and 1,212,242 recoveries. In Ghana, the number of confirmed cases has also increased to 2,719 with 18 deaths and 294 recoveries.

Like other countries, the COVID-19 pandemic is having negative effects on all businesses and employment across all sectors of the economy. Ghana’s growth for 2020 is projected to decline from 6.8% to 1.5%, which obviously would affect the quantity and quality of employment.

What actions have been taken against COVID-19 in Ghana?

To minimise and contain the spread of the virus, the government of Ghana has undertaken and continues to undertake a number of actions.

Through parliament, the government passed the “Imposition on Restriction Bill, 2020 (Act 1012)”. The purpose of the Act is to give the president the power to impose restrictions on Ghanaians in the event of or imminence of an emergency, disaster, or similar circumstances to ensure public safety, public health and protection. The law also allows the president to exempt certain persons of certain occupations where necessary.

At the early stages of recorded cases, the government discouraged traveling to Ghana from countries with at least 200 cases of COVID-19. It is important to note that this restriction did not apply to Ghanaian citizens or people with resident permits.

As recorded cases began to increase, the government imposed further measures including border closures (land, air, and sea), closure of schools, colleges and universities, and a ban on all public gatherings (conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities and other related events). There was a three-week partial lockdown within the Greater Accra and Kumasi metropolitan areas, which were identified as hotspots of the outbreak, and all markets across the county were disinfested.

The government also announced support to small and medium enterprises with 600 million Ghanaian cedi. In addition, other industries and especially large firms will receive 3 billion cedi through the Ministry of Trade and Industries. 

Citizens have been urged to obey all the COVID-19 preventive measures such as frequent handwashing, regulay use of alcohol-based sanitizers, wearing facemasks, and adhering to social distancing.

What is the Trade Union Congress of Ghana’s strategy towards policymakers?

As the largest trade union federation in Ghana with an estimated membership of 500,000 workers, the TUC has been instrumental in working with government and employers to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and protect jobs. The main strategy of the TUC toward policymakers is one of social dialogue and advocacy. Among others, the TUC was one the first institutions that formally wrote to the President of the Republic of Ghana requesting a total lockdown at a time when the number of confirmed cases was 21. Subsequently, the president engaged the leadership of the TUC before announcing the partial lockdown within the Greater Accra and Kumasi metropolitan areas.

In addition to calling for a lockdown, the TUC also outlined some key challenges confronting workers and Ghanaians as a result of the outbreak. For instance, the union called on the government to provide hand sanitizers either free-of-charge or at a subsidized price to all citizens irrespective of income. The TUC also recommended financial support and fiscal incentives for pharmaceutical companies and other industries to increase production of basic household supplies. The TUC further urged the government to ensure a constant supply of running water for hand washing in all communities. Subsequently, the government announced a three-month supply of free water for all households across the country. The government further established a COVID-19 fund to provide stimulus packages for distressed companies and protect jobs.

The TUC has also developed a COVID-19 impact analysis framework on businesses and employment across all sectors of the country. The purpose of the framework is to serve as a guide when engaging the government to ensure that both formal and informal jobs are protected. At the National Tripartite Committee level, the TUC has been active and instrumental. Together with the government and employers, the Committee has outlined ten key safety guidelines for the fight against the coronavirus at all workplaces.

What are the economic and social implications of the pandemic in Ghana?

The economic and social implications of COVID-19 cannot be underestimated. The three-week partial lockdown and other measures have disrupted economic and labour market activities across all sectors. For instance, the cancelation of conferences, meetings, and weddings has cut the hospitality and tourism sectors to almost zero. In the case of hotels, occupancy rates have dropped from 70% to less than 30% with much of their staff laid off. Companies, irrespective of size, who are dependent on imported inputs and other materials, are experiencing contractions in production. Some organizations have had to negotiate salary cuts with their employees in order to keep their jobs. In the case of the health sector, many workers particularly frontline workers have been working longer hours and in some cases under very difficult conditions.

The situation is even worse for those in the informal economy. Small-scale service providers such as market traders, hairdressers, barbers, tailors, cosmetics sellers, domestic workers, home-based workers, street vendors, waste pickers, anglers, and transport operators are among the worst affected. In markets, for instance, physical distancing is difficult to practice, putting both traders and consumers at risk. In the fishing business, practicing social distancing would mean reducing the number of persons in the fishing vessels, which would adversely affect the size of the catch. All workers across all sectors, especially women, are finding it more difficult to work due to childcare responsibilities as schools and childcare centres remain closed. These are the practical effects of COVID-19 across all businesses and workers.

Many countries are putting measures in place to mitigate the impact and spread of the virus. However, it appears the fight is far from over until a vaccine is found. Ghana has used enhanced surveillance including intensive contact tracing and laboratory testing. These measures have helped to identify and isolate positive cases. It has generally emerged that many of the cases are from persons who are asymptomatic (i.e. people who have no symptoms).