Workers within the informal economy like farmers, fishermen, market women, traders and drivers among others can now save towards retirement like their counterparts in the formal sector. This follows the launch of a pension scheme specially designed to cater for the informal economy workers The product designed specifically for members of the Union of Informal Workers Association (UNIWA), of the…
A Union like None Other on the Continent – Akosua K. Darkwah Speaks with Deborah Freeman Danquah, General Secretary of the Union Of Informal Workers’ Associations (UNIWA) of TUC Ghana
Globally, the African continent has the largest percentage of workers in informal employment. Based on data collected in 2016 by Bonnet et al. (2019: 10), 89% of workers in the sub-region work in informal employment. The figure is higher for women than it is for men, standing at 92% and 86% respectively. Workers in informal employment are less likely to enjoy decent…
New Forms of Social Insurance: The Case of the TUC–UNIWA Informal Sector Pension Scheme in Ghana
The TUC–UNIWA Informal Sector Pension Scheme was established in Ghana in 2017 by the Union of Informal Workers Associations (UNIWA) as a voluntary group pension scheme registered with the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA). Despite its flexible contribution regime, the scheme has struggled to grow, with only 1,511 members—just 0.8 percent of UNIWA’s total 185,000 membership at the time of…