Banana Link recently wrapped up the second joint workshop organised along with the International Union of Foodworkers (IUF) in Ghana, focusing on the critical path toward achieving a living wage. From 12 to 14 May, thirty-two dedicated participants came together to discuss powerful collective bargaining techniques aimed at improving living conditions and advancing women’s rights at work.
The participants discussed the issue of a living wage. They estimated their own expenses to determine their most basic needs. Food expenses by far account for the largest portion of the family budget. The participants then analysed survey data reported by the University of University for Environment & Sustainable Development in Ghana, which interviewed 300 workers at two different plantations. The initial results reveal significant disparities among workers based on their type of employment and family situations. However, further research appears necessary to assess the gap between actual wages (both higher and lower) for a group of workers that truly represents the diversity of the workers’ profiles in question.
Furthermore, participants discussed and weighed the influence of the various actors in the value chain, particularly that of buyers. In some European countries, the price per kilogram of bananas to consumers has not changed for several decades, meaning that the value has decreased very significantly over time. This has a direct impact on the profitability of producing companies and thus on the wages of banana workers.
Finally, emphasis was placed on the importance of women’s role in unions, including during company-level collective bargaining. Women can be a game changer in negotiation process as their experience and skills provide real added value to trade union claims. The issue of a sector-wide banana agreement was debated and could serve as a solution to prevent competition among workers. But what will be the impact on agriculture in general? This question is important because it relates to employment and working conditions in general, including the use of overtime.
Participants committed to sharing their new knowledge and ideas regarding a living wage with workers on their respective plantations. An action plan is expected to be developed shortly, which will be closely monitored by Industrial Commercial Workers Union (ICU), General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), IUF, and Banana Link. This is the second of two workshops on living wage and collective bargaining in Ghana. In order to share the innovative expectations of participants, the outcomes will be shared with stakeholders from other countries, in particular trade unions from Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon. Similar activities have already been launched in Camerron and will be continued in 2026.
This programme of work in Ghana and Cameroon is supported by Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Aldi South and IDH. All the retailers have made public commitments to living wages for Banana workers across their supply bases.
