S2E8 - Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe

In this episode of the Labor Link Podcast, we speak with Andrews (Andy) Addoquaye Tagoe, general secretary of Ghana’s General Agriculture Workers’ Union (GAWU), about strategies for organizing across the formal and informal agricultural sectors. From fishers, canoe owners, and farm workers to the women working as fish porters and descalers, Andy explains how GAWU takes a holistic approach to organizing across sectors. Andy was the 2024 recipient of the US Department of Labor’s prestigious Iqbal Masih award for his leadership in the fight to end child labor. The stories he shares here elaborate on his experiences building community relationships and how to present high level policy goals in a way that connects with workers lived experiences.

This episode is another instalment in our series on fisher organizing, but podcast host Judy Gearhart has known Andy for nearly 15 years, starting with their collaboration on campaigns to end child and forced labor in West Africa’s cocoa sector.