Workers and employers in Ghana’s shea industry have signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) establishing formal labour standards across a sector that employs hundreds of thousands of women in northern Ghana, marking the first time the industry has operated under a structured, legally recognised framework governing working conditions, productivity and employee rights.
The agreement was concluded at the end of a three-day meeting in Tamale, organised by the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in collaboration with the Ghana Employers Association. The International Labour Organization (ILO), under its Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work Programme, provided technical and financial support, with funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
The signing brings together representatives from labour unions, employers, development partners and civil society organisations under a common framework that sets clear standards for both sides of the employment relationship within the shea value chain.
Wumbei Abdulai, Northern and Upper East Regional Industrial Relations Officer of GAWU, said the initiative was central to organising a workforce that had largely operated without formal labour protections. He noted that the agreement would protect workers’ rights while simultaneously strengthening standards and output across the industry.
Hajia Rabiatu Abdul-Karim, President of the Ghana Shea Employers Association, said the agreement carries implications well beyond domestic labour relations. She noted that the CBA would strengthen the credibility of Ghanaian shea producers seeking international certifications, including organic and fair trade standards, which are increasingly required by buyers in Europe and North America. She added that many actors in the shea value chain had previously operated independently, and that the new framework had created the conditions for collective advancement.
Hajia Abdul-Karim appealed to government to reinforce the momentum with financial and policy support to enable the sector to scale its operations.
Charlotte Esenam Afudego, representing SECO, said the programme sought to advance decent work and productivity while supporting private sector development, noting that the CBA would create a mutually beneficial framework where responsible business practices and improved worker welfare reinforce each other.
Ghana’s shea industry is a significant contributor to agricultural export earnings and rural livelihoods, particularly across the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions. The sector has faced persistent challenges around informal employment, inconsistent pricing and limited access to premium international markets, which the new agreement is intended to help address over time.
