[ 2016-08-18 ]

Nii Osah Mills - Minister of Lands and Natural Resources

Ghana Mine Workers Union calls for action against illegal miners
The Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) of the Trades
Union Congress (TUC) has bemoaned the activities
of illegal small-scale miners, popularly known as
‘galamsey’ operators, which are posing a
threat to the security of its members.

It said if steps were not taken to stop the
activities of these illegal miners, the union
would withdraw its services to the industry.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the first
half meeting of the National Executive Council of
the union, the General Secretary, Mr Prince
William Ankrah, said “considering the dangers
posed by this menace and the threat to the safety
and security of our members, we as a union may be
compelled at any stage to withdraw labour services
to the industry if this situation persists”.

He said the issue had reached an alarming
proportion, forcing AngloGold Ashanti to take the
government to the International Court of
Arbitration.

“Indeed, this enterprise has now reached a
crescendo, forcing companies like AngloGold
Ashanti to, out of desperation, file a suit
against the government of Ghana at the
International Court of Arbitration.

“Today, the safety and security of mining
companies and our members cannot be guaranteed
anymore, given the organised, sophisticated and
aggressive nature of these ‘galamsayers’ and
their attacks on these concessions,” he said.

According to him, the illegal miners had been
emboldened by politicians who had been promising
them concessions.

“Our cherished members are living and working
in fear, not sure what the next headline story
would be. Sadly, these nefarious activities are
carried out in the fullest glare of the powers
that be, unfortunately with impunity,” he said.

Mr Ankrah said even though the government amended
the Minerals and Mining Act, criminalising illegal
small-scale mining, “it appears to be the same
government emboldening the perpetuation of this
illegality and this sounds quite worrying and
disappointing to us, to say the least”.

He called on the government to be bold and
enforce the law and put to a stop to the
activities of these illegal small-scale miners,
adding, “We believe that enforcement of the law
still remains a major challenge and needs to be
looked at closely, and this should be done devoid
of politicisation and cronyism.”

He said considering the spate of destruction
caused to the environment by these illegal miners,
“it will be extremely difficult to bequeath
anything meaningful to generations yet unborn if
we continue on this indiscriminate tangent with
impunity”.

“Today, water bodies which used to serve
domestic purposes are all polluted, lands are
degraded and communities are displaced, all in the
name of galamsey,”he stated.

Pay discrimination

Mr Ankrah said pay inequality in the mining
sector was widespread and tilted towards
expatriate workers who earned much higher than
their Ghanaian counterparts.

He said there was a very high income distribution
inequality among employees in the mining industry
of Ghana.

“Matters of income inequality is fast-growing,
amidst heightened tension among stakeholders over
a seeming heavily lopsided income sharing model
which consistently appears to be in favour of a
few privileged Ghanaian nationals but even more
skewed in favour of the expatriate community,”
he said

He said in the top-bottom income analysis, the
ratio of the highest earner
(GHC180,066.90/$56,270.90) to the least earner
(GHC1,617.02 /US$505.31) in the industry was
1:111.36.

“Expressed in another form, it will take the
least earner nine or more years of "hard labour”
to earn a month’s salary of the top earner,”
he said.

He said that worrying development reinforced the
call made last year by the quadrennial
delegates’ conference of the union to leadership
“to aggressively pursue a global remuneration
strategy that places appropriate values on mining
skills, contrary to the current practice in the
industry where earnings are heavily skewed in
favour of colour and geography rather than
skills”.

Source - Graphic.com.gh

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