TY - JOUR
T1 - Union ‘facilitation effect’ and access to non-wage benefits in the Ghanaian labour market
AU - Owoo, Nkechi S.
AU - Lambon-Quayefio, Monica Puoma
AU - Dávalos, Jorge
AU - Manu, Samuel B.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Oxford Department of International Development.
PY - 2020/7/2
Y1 - 2020/7/2
N2 - Effective access to mandatory non-wage benefits is key to workers achieving decent working conditions. This paper investigates the effects of union presence on workers’ access to non-wage benefits in the Ghanaian labor market. The study draws its data from the 2012–2013 Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 6) and specifies a multivariate model that simultaneously controls for endogeneity and potential sample-selection biases. We find that unions have a significant effect on facilitation among workers by improving awareness of and access to work benefits. Other factors that affect benefit entitlements in Ghana include the gender of a worker, urbanization, firm size, sector formality, public v.s. private sector jobs, type of occupation, and the presence of work contracts amongst others. Results presented here indicate that workers from formal-sector firms with union presence are more likely to have access to non-wage benefits. It is also found that despite the statutory nature of these non-wage benefits, non-compliance was common, predominantly in the informal sector but also in the formal sector. This is particularly the case with respect to maternity leave benefits and indicates a need for greater enforcement of these laws.
AB - Effective access to mandatory non-wage benefits is key to workers achieving decent working conditions. This paper investigates the effects of union presence on workers’ access to non-wage benefits in the Ghanaian labor market. The study draws its data from the 2012–2013 Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 6) and specifies a multivariate model that simultaneously controls for endogeneity and potential sample-selection biases. We find that unions have a significant effect on facilitation among workers by improving awareness of and access to work benefits. Other factors that affect benefit entitlements in Ghana include the gender of a worker, urbanization, firm size, sector formality, public v.s. private sector jobs, type of occupation, and the presence of work contracts amongst others. Results presented here indicate that workers from formal-sector firms with union presence are more likely to have access to non-wage benefits. It is also found that despite the statutory nature of these non-wage benefits, non-compliance was common, predominantly in the informal sector but also in the formal sector. This is particularly the case with respect to maternity leave benefits and indicates a need for greater enforcement of these laws.
KW - Non-wage benefits
KW - labour markets
KW - sample-selection
KW - structural equation modelling
KW - unions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85090226819&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13600818.2020.1808603
DO - 10.1080/13600818.2020.1808603
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85090226819
SN - 1360-0818
VL - 48
SP - 240
EP - 255
JO - Oxford Development Studies
JF - Oxford Development Studies
IS - 3
ER -