The General -Secretary of the Ghana Mine Workers
Union (GMWU), Mr. Prince William Ankrah has proposed to government to revive
the ailing mining townships of Prestea and Tarkwa all in the Western Region.
“The two mining areas used to be the cash cow of the nation and the potential still existed. There is the need to construct a modern railway system to facilitate mining activities and rejuvenate economic activities in the mining communities.
“This important project can no longer be shortchanged if the perceived future of the sector is to realize its fullest potential,” Mr Ankrah said this at the Union’s national executive council meeting in Accra to review activities and deliberate on the future of the mine industry.
He indicated that the Union is willing to partner the Chamber of Mines, government and other internal actors to develop a comprehensive framework in the area of sustainable livelihood in the mining economies before the industry’s economic fortunes change due to ore reserve depletion.
Providing some way forward for the growing mining skills shortage, Mr Ankrah said the situation, which had sparked an unprecedented demand for key mining professionals like geologists, metallurgists, mining engineers, rock drillers, artisanal mining skills and mine planning engineers, needed an urgent intervention.
He added that such intervention would help to “avoid a situation where we can boast of economically available deposits but cannot find the required skills internally to turn the ore into cash.”
In terms of mineworkers’ welfare, he indicated that, over the last six years the GMWU had insisted on double digit pay rise in addition to gains made due to its US dollar indexed salaries. “GMWU is further committed to engaging the industry’s leaders in its quest to attain excellence in operations.”
Although mining experts believe the International Labour Oragnisation (ILO) Convention 176 remains the surest safeguard for mining safety, Ghana has still not ratify it since 1995 of its adoption.
He explained that the Union had for the past 16 years had been advocating for governments to ratify the International Labour Oragnisation (ILO) Convention.
“It is shameful that our governments since 1996 have reneged on their promises and pledges to ratify the ILO Convention (Safety in the Mines Conventions) and its recommendations.”
Mr Ankrah, added: “GMWU members have on many platforms espoused the relevance of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 176 to our Ghanaian situation.”
“No amount of improvisation in whatever form by our governments could negate the relevance of the ILO Convention on safety in the mines.
“Indeed the intransigent posture of our governments on the ratification process is a clear manifestation of their preparedness to mortgage the health and safety of the mineworkers”.
On the issue of the introduction of the Windfall Tax in the 2012 budget, Mr Ankrah said the Union was closely monitoring all the issues surrounding its implementation.
This, he said, was because the substantial revenue to be generated by the state could be used to finance key developmental interventions in the resourced-rich communities.
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