The Akufo-Addo government has been urged to nationalise mining activities following the expected sacking of at least 2000 works of Goldfields Ghana Ltd, a company owned by a multinational group.
Economic Fighters League in a statement said the retrenchments are the latest evidence that gold mining by multinationals had impoverished mining communities.
There was tension last Monday after a protest by the workers of Goldfields Ghana Ltd in Tarkwa in the Western region was scuttled by soldiers. A man was reported to have been injured by a rubber bullet.
Photo: A sector of the protesters at Tarkwa
But the Economic Fighters League led by Ernesto Kofi Yeboah has condemned the security agencies for what it said was "primitive behaviour".
"We are shocked to know of the use of the military to intimidate Mine Workers to sign redundancy letters and also compelled to sign a one-month fixed-term contract with management. Who does the government of Ghana serve?
The statement also raises questions about the government's loyalty following the announcement of the lay-offs.
The group also called for the release of some workers who were arrested during the skirmishes with the soldiers.
Gold Fields Ghana Limited is 90% owned by in South Africa. The Ghana government owns 10%.
The call for the nationalisation also follows criticism by a research group Social Impact Studies which has faulted the government for leaving mining communities to a fate of unemployment and poor infrastructure despite its rich natural resources.
Labour unions in the country have also kicked against plans by mining giant, Gold Fields Limited, to retrench more than 2,000 workers at its Tarkwa and Damang concessions.
Goldfields Ghana Limited has defended its decision to lay off some of its workers, stating that other very important interests are at stake.
It has explained that the workers will be rolled over to contractors that are partnering Goldfields.
He stated that per the agreement, they have with the contractors they [contractors] will be mandated to absorb the laid-off workers.
PRESS RELEASE
13th March, 2018
RELEASE MINEWORKERS NOW
We support any strike actions and mass manifestations directed at ensuring that the rights of Mine Workers are protected. Government and its regulatory institutions must put a stop to its anti-worker attitude and call Gold Fields to order in the face of their glaring infractions of the law, and the sanctity of agreements, particularly as relates the recent development.
We are greatly appalled by the primitive behaviour shown by the Ghana Police in their latest arrests of Mine Workers who were legitimately protesting in the protection of their economic rights to work and earn an honest living.
We demand their immediate and unconditional release and at the same time condemn Government in the strongest terms for failing to protect its citizens and aiding foreign multinationals in the violation of the rights of the workers. Several things have gone wrong and the State instead of protecting its citizens have chosen the side of foreign monopoly capital.
For instance, we are shocked to know of the use of the military to intimidate Mine Workers to sign redundancy letters and also compelled to sign a one-month fixed-term contract with management. Who does the government of Ghana serve?
This treatment by Gold Fields Ghana Limited in their quest to terminate the employment of thousands of workers through an utterly unfair redundancy exercise is in clear violation of the national labour laws and the international core labour standards and also in breach of the current collective agreement.
We have benefited nothing from our gold as a country; everything is owned and controlled by the multinationals. The little we get from taxes, we give out in concessions.
Under the circumstances therefore, the only real benefit is in the form of employment of our people and even then they usually work in exploitative and abusive conditions. Now even that meagre benefit is under threat.
It is time Government reviews the mining agreements and put Nationalisation firmly on the table if it genuinely believes in its newly found mantra of “Ghana Beyond Aid”.
Long live Mine Workers!
Long live African Workers!
Signed.
Ernesto Yeboah
0244610732
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS