Decent Work in Ghana’s Gig Economy: Legal Gaps and Reforms

Ghana’s gig economy, driven by platforms such as Uber and Bolt, provides economic opportunities but also exposes workers to vulnerabilities due to limited labour protections under the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651). Considered independent contractors, gig workers lack access to social security, collective bargaining, and safety protections. This paper examines legal gaps in the labour law framework and advocates reforms aligned with International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards, proposing a hybrid “dependent contractor” category, platform-funded social protections, and algorithmic transparency. It addresses specific challenges, including the identified legal gaps, institutional constraints, and informality, while leveraging the Digital Ghana Agenda and promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration. Although the paper recognises that much remains to be done to integrate gig workers into the labour law framework, it acknowledges that a phased approach fosters decent work and positions Ghana as a leader in Africa’s digital labour regulation.

Digital Platforms, Gig Economy, Labour Law

1. 221103_fairwork_ghana-report-2022_RZ.pdf. (2022). Retrieved 11 October 2025, from https://fair.work/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2022/11/221103_fairwork_ghana-report-2022_RZ.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Africa, S. S. (2021, December 19). 2021 | Statistics South Africa. https://www.statssa.gov.za/?m=2021 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Ahies. (2023). Retrieved 13 October 2025, from https://statsghana.gov.gh/gssmain/fileUpload/pressrelease/2023_Quarter_Labour_Statistics_Bulletin_full_report.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Anwar, M. A., & Graham, M. (2021). Between a rock and a hard place: Freedom, flexibility, precarity and vulnerability in the gig economy in Africa. Competition & Change, 25(2), 237–258. https://doi.org/10.1177/1024529420914473 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Awal, M. (2022, June 15). Labour laws must recognise digital platform workers – Fairwork Ghana. The Business & Financial Times. https://thebftonline.com/2022/06/15/labour-laws-must-recognise-digital-platform-workers-fairwork-ghana/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bajwa, U., Gastaldo, D., Di Ruggiero, E., & Knorr, L. (2018). The health of workers in the global gig economy. Globalization and Health, 14(1), 124. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-018-0444-8 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. CIPD | The true story of the UK gig economy. (2023, October 12). CIPD. https://www.cipd.org/uk/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/cipd-voice/uk-gig-economy/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. De Stefano, V. (2015). The Rise of the ‘Just-in-Time Workforce’: On-Demand Work, Crowd Work and Labour Protection in the ‘Gig-Economy’ (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 2682602). Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2682602 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Fairwork-Ghana-Policy-Brief-2023-Final-Document.pdf. (2023). Retrieved 13 October 2025, from https://fair.work/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/08/Fairwork-Ghana-Policy-Brief-2023-Final-Document.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Fairwork_Report_Ghana_2021.pdf. (2021). Retrieved 13 October 2025, from https://fair.work/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/11/Fairwork_Report_Ghana_2021.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. African Union (2023), Ghana-Digital-Economy-Policy-Strategy.pdf. Retrieved 13 October 2025, from https://moc.gov.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ghana-Digital-Economy-Policy-Strategy.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. GSMA Intelligence. (2024). GSMA Intelligence. Retrieved 11 October 2025, from https://www.gsmaintelligence.com [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Huđek, I., & Širec, K. (2023). The terminology and the concept of the gig economy. Ekonomski Pregled, 74(1), 34–58. https://doi.org/10.32910/ep.74.1.2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. ILO. (2022, July 21). Annual Report 2021 | International Labour Organization. https://www.ilo.org/publications/annual-report-2021 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Labour Statistics Bulletin (2025 July Edition).pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 October 2025, from https://statsghana.gov.gh/gssmain/fileUpload/pressrelease/Labour%20Statistics%20Bulletin%20(2025%20July%20Edition).pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Muntaner, C. (2018). Digital Platforms, Gig Economy, Precarious Employment, and the Invisible Hand of Social Class. International Journal of Health Services, 48(4), 597–600. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020731418801413 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. ILO. (2021). World Employment and Social Outlook 2021: The Role of Digital Labour Platforms in Transforming the World of Work. International Labour Organisation (ILO). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Palhad, S., Onwubu, S., Singh, R., Thakur, R., Thakur, S., & Mkhize, G. (2023). The Benefits and Challenges of the Gig Economy: Perspective of Gig Workers and Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies, 5(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1051 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Pape, Marketa (2025). European Parliament: Initiative to improve the working conditions of people working in the platform economy | Legislative Train Schedule. European Parliament. Retrieved 13 October 2025, from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/spotlight-JD22/file-improving-working-conditions-of-platform-workers [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Peterlongo, G., & Marrone, M. (2025). Platform work as potential labour: Algorithmic management and everyday uncertainty in Deliveroo and Uber. Globalizations, 0(0), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2025.2518705 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Rohlinger, D. A., & Sobieraj, S. (Eds). (2022). The Oxford Handbook of Digital Media Sociology (1st edn). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197510636.001.0001 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Shepherd, N. J. (2025). Gig Economy Workers’ Rights: Legal Classification and Social Protection in Digital Labour Markets. International Journal of Law and Societal Studies, 2(1), 24–35. https://doi.org/10.61424/ijlss.v2i1.379 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Van Belle, J.-P., Howson, K., Graham, M., Heeks, R., Bezuidenhout, L., Tsibolane, P., Du Toit, D., Fredman, S., & Mungai, P. (2023). Fair work in South Africa’s gig economy: A journey of engaged scholarship. Digital Geography and Society, 5, 100064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diggeo.2023.100064 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. WIEGO_Statistical_Brief_N21_0.pdf. (2020). Retrieved 13 October 2025, from https://www.wiego.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/03/WIEGO_Statistical_Brief_N21_0.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Woodcock, J. (2021). Technology, Labor, and the Gig Economy. In D. A. Rohlinger & S. Sobieraj (Eds), The Oxford Handbook of Digital Media Sociology (1st edn, pp. 178–194). Oxford University Press https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197510636.013.14 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Work checks can cut illegal migration, pledges Cooper. (2025, March 30). https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy7xqwqxxxo [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. World Report 2025.pdf. (2025). Retrieved 13 October 2025, from https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2025/01/World%20Report%202025.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Zeid, R., Alrayess, D., Ajwad, M. I., Soytas, M. A., & Rivera, N. (2024). The Gig Economy and the Future of Work: Global Trends and Policy Directions for Non-Standard Forms of Employment. Washington, DC: World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/41755 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Indirect Effect of Liquidity and Activity on Company Value with Profitability as an Intervening Variable
• Effect of Financial Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude on The Financial Behaviour of Clergy
• A Decade of Review: Trends in Budget Execution and Financial Performance of Development Projects in Tanzania (2014/15-2023/24)
• The Influence of Pre-Project Planning on the Budget Absorption Rate of Public Funded Infrastructure Projects in Kenya a Comparative Case Study of Narok, Migori, and Kisii County Government Projects
• Assessment of Factors Influencing Digital Transformation in Hotels’ Facility Management in Abuja Metropolis, Nigeria