Ghanaian employers want Government, business and organised labour to agree a national policy on “human-centred” automation, warning that robotics and artificial intelligence could deepen unemployment unless their adoption is managed.
The proposal comes from the Ghana Employers Association (GEA), whose President, Nana Dr Emmanuel Adu-Sarkodee Afriyie, says rapid advances in automation and related technologies are reshaping production systems and the nature of work worldwide.
“These technologies present significant opportunities for productivity, competitiveness and innovation,” the GEA said in its position, “but they also pose important labour-market risks, particularly for a country such as Ghana where unemployment remains persistently high.”
What employers want
The proposed National Policy on Human-Centred Automation and the Future of Work would:
- Identify strategic occupations and functions where human participation must be preserved
- Encourage the adoption of technologies that complement labour rather than replace it
- Be developed jointly by Government, Employers and Organised Labour
A balance between progress and jobs
Nana Dr Adu-Sarkodee Afriyie says such a framework would help reduce labour-market shocks in the medium to long term, while still allowing Ghanaian enterprises to benefit from technological progress.
The GEA, the main body representing employers in Ghana, says it stands ready to work with Government and the social partners to develop the framework.
The proposal is notable for coming from business itself, a group often expected to champion automation for efficiency gains. By calling for guardrails, employers are signalling that productivity and job creation must advance together.
