Labour leaders in Ghana have sounded the alarm over what they describe as growing exploitation and disregard for workers’ rights by multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in the country, calling for immediate legislative and policy reform to curb unethical labour practices.
Speaking at a high-level International Labour Organisation (ILO) national dialogue on decent work in Tema, Mr. Kenneth Koomson, Deputy Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), and Mr. Abdul-Moomin Gbana, General Secretary of the Ghana Mineworkers Union under the Trades Union Congress (TUC), condemned what they described as systemic abuse of Ghanaian labour by foreign companies.
Mr. Koomson criticized the growing trend of casualisation and contract employment, which he said is being used to sidestep obligations to provide decent work. “A company that employs 800 people only keeps 100 on permanent contracts. The rest are treated as expendable,” he revealed. “They call us labour, but they treat us like commodities—exported and discarded.”
He further argued that while many multinational firms sign onto international labour conventions, in practice they flout those very principles. “They operate with a mindset that jobs in Africa are a favour, not a right. That has to change,” he stated.
Citing a proposed Labour Bill currently before Parliament, Koomson highlighted the opportunity to enforce stricter provisions that would compel third-party recruiting agencies to guarantee workers their full entitlements, including the right to unionise and demand fair treatment.
Mr. Gbana echoed the concerns, warning that without genuine commitment from stakeholders, forums like the ILO dialogue risk becoming mere “talk shops.” He stressed that many multinational companies are drawn into Ghana under conditions that prioritise profit over people, setting a precedent for exploitative practices.
“We must be honest with ourselves: the exploitation we see on the ground starts at the top—at the policy level—when investment is sought without strong labour protections in place,” he said. Gbana urged government agencies to clearly communicate workers’ rights to all incoming foreign companies and ensure compliance from the outset.
The dialogue, held under the theme “Promoting Sustainable, Responsible and Inclusive Business Practices in Ghanaian Industries,” brought together key actors in labour, government, and the private sector. But for unions and workers’ advocates, the message was clear: decent work must not be sacrificed at the altar of foreign investment.
