Mineworkers shocked at contract mining ‘policy’

General Secretary of the Mineworkers Union of the TUC, Prince William Ankrah, has expressed surprise that government in one breath supports the contract mining module, and in another says its committed to decent and well-paid jobs.

This is because, according to the General Secretary of the (GMWU), contract mining exposes miners to precarious work.

Mr. Ankrah made these comments at a get-together and raffle-draw for members of GMWU after the May Day celebrations in Kumasi recently.

“Recently, the GMWU leadership was shocked to hear all of a sudden at a Ministerial meeting, that the sector Minister for Lands and Natural Resources indicated contract mining is a government policy.  Government saying contract mining is its policy is a surprise to us as Ghana Mineworkers Union leadership, because policy does not get operationised overnight.

“Is government now taking a last-minute position that contract mining is its policy because of the impasse between Ghana Mineworkers Union, GMWU and Gold Fields Ghana Limited,” he queried.

“The union thinks if it is government policy then it should have been discussed by the social partners to weigh all the options.”

He therefore called on government, as a matter of national interest, to convene without any further delay a broad stakeholder engagement forum on the Contract Mining policy to chart a road map for the sector - to help prevent any mining company from engaging in contract mining with flimsy excuses.

“My fear is that mining companies want to short-change Ghanaian mineworkers and undermine efforts made by the GMWU over the years to improve remuneration packages for Ghanaian mine workers.”

Indexation of the cedi to the dollar used for payment of remunerations to mine workers was a brain-child of the GMWU. This was after tough and fruitful engagement with stakeholders with foresight, such as the likes of Sir Sam Jonah who really blended business with workers’ interests, Prince Ankrah told GMWU members.

He promised to be tough with companies that want to toy with the plight of mine workers.

“We are not here to bust any company, neither are we going to sit down and allow any company to toy with the future of mineworkers through exploitative tendencies for their corporate greed.

“We as union leadership and members are ready to work with all stakeholders to ensure very serene labour relations. But anything that seeks to exploit the mineworker and the family, the union cannot be part of it,” he added.