Mine workers demonstrate against Gold Fields

Workers at Gold Fields Tarkwa Mine in the Western Region today, Monday, 12 March 2018, embarked on a demonstration over plans by management to lay off about 2,150 workers.

The action of the workers has been backed by the National Executive Council of Ghana Mineworkers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

The council in an emergency meeting over the impasse last week resolved that “there should be hoisting and wearing of red bands by all workers in the mining industry, beginning Tuesday, March 13, 2018.”

The council further decided that: “There shall be a sympathy strike action by all workers in the mining industry on Tuesday, March 20, 2018. There would be full-blown general industry-wide strike action by Tuesday, March 27, 2018.”

Ghana Mineworkers’ Union and Gold Fields Ghana Limited have since November 2017 been in dispute over the legitimacy of the company to adopt contract mining instead of the current owner mining model.

The contract mining will see Gold Fields Ghana Limited hand over its operations at the Tarkwa Mine to private contractors. The move will see over 2000 workers lose their jobs.