The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) is calling on government to take immediate actions to halt the implementation of Goldfields Ghana Limited’s contract mining decision/strategy.
This, according to the union is because there is no logical business case to warrant such a model at this time, considering the potential socioeconomic consequences on workers and their families, the Tarkwa community and the nation as a whole.
The union among other demands also wants government and its regulatory agencies to as a matter of priority, subject Gold Field’s assertions and factual inaccuracies to critical scrutiny and where falsehood is established, the necessary sanctions and penalties duly applied to serve as a deterrent to multinationals who operate in the industry.
This was contained in the resolution passed by the National Executive Council of the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) of TUCG when it met in Accra from December 13 – 14, 2017 at the Shippers Council Conference hall, Accra.
Below is the full statement
Realizing with regret Gold Fields Ghana Limited’s ruthless decision to implement a contract mining option which would impact on the jobs of over 1,700 workers with serious economic and social consequences;
Recognizing that Gold Fields Ghana Limited has misled the Government, the Union, the market and the people of Ghana by way of misrepresentation of critical Company information and that their actions constitute serious ethical breaches;
Noting that Goldfields Ghana Limited’s Life of Mine is 15 years according to its official website and corroborated by its Mineral Resource/Reserve Report as at December 2016 contrary to its recent claims of a Life of Mine of 5 – 6 years;
Concerned about the lapses in the role of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and its agencies in supervising the activities of Gold Fields Limited and by extension the other mining companies in the industry;
Observing that there is selective application of the Stability Agreement in the Law to favour few of the large scale mining companies to the detriment of the other medium to large scale companies in the industry;
Disappointed that Ghana has failed over the years to ratify ILO Convention 176 (Safety in the Mines Convention) to elevate our occupational safety and health standards in the mines to international standards;
Worried that corruption continues to wreak serious havoc on the country in every facet of its development;
Alarmed that the unemployment situation which is sky-rocketing each passing day posses a great danger to the future of our country;
Do hereby resolve that:
1. Government and the industry stakeholders must as a matter of urgency take immediate actions to halt the implementation of Gold Fields Ghana Limited’s contract mining decision/strategy because there is no logical business case to warrant such a model at this time, considering the potential socioeconomic consequences on workers and their families, the Tarkwa community and the nation as a whole.
2. Government and its regulatory agencies must as a matter of priority, subject Gold Fields Ghana Limited’s assertions and factual inaccuracies to critical scrutiny and where falsehood is established, the necessary sanctions and penalties duly applied to serve as a deterrent to multinationals who operate in the industry.
3. There is a creeping phenomenon of unconventional methods of mining that support short term profiteering motives of multinationals in the mining industry but with long term ramifications on the Life of Mine and future of the stakeholders particularly workers, host communities and the nation as a whole.
Government and its regulatory agencies must ensure that the various business models and operational strategies of ALL mining companies in the sect
Source: Dickson Boadi // www.dailyviewgh.com / Ghana
Writer’s email dailyviewgh@gmail.com
