GFGL Tarkwa Mine embarks on strike

Tarkwa (W/R), Aug. 29, GNA - About 1,200 workers of Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL) Tarkwa Mine have laid down their tools pending an amicable solution to profit shaping.

This is because three weeks negotiations in respect of end of year profit sharing could not yield any meaningful result.

Consequently, roadblocks have been mounted on two entrances leading to the Mine thereby preventing others who were willing to go to work. They however, said those whose jobs borders on pumping of water, security and accounting have been allowed to go to work. The workers are demanding at least $5,000 per individual but after three weeks of negotiations in Accra $750-cedi equivalent was agreed upon.

Even this, which does not match up to a quarter of the workers demand, will attract 21% tax.

Comparing this year to last year, the workers said 2% of the profit amounting to 5.9 million cedis were given to every worker with a reason that mining was sub-contracted to African Mining Services (AMS). Now that it is the owner which is mining, a lot of profit had been made and even the Managing Director himself has confessed that a lot of profit had been made but for them to be given such a peanut, amounted to an insult.

If GFGL is sponsoring Black Stars with 23 billion cedis, why can't it pay at least a profit of 45,000,000 cedis to every worker whose toil had made GFGL to reach that far.

Again, they were requesting GFGL to pay the lowest basic salary of 350 dollars a month instead of 173 dollars.

They are also requesting that their payslips should be given them by 25th and salaries be paid by 27th every month.

The lowest rent subsidy should also be raised to 250,000. cedis and production bonus be taxed and paid immediately.