Mine workers petition Parliament over Goldfields layoff decision

Members of the Mine Workers Union of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) have petitioned Parliament to intervene in the recent decision by Goldfields Ghana Limited to lay off some 1,500 workers.

The Union marched to Parliament in red to present the petition.

According to them, the gold-mining company has to be stopped from going the road it wants to take.

“They cannot do anything untoward,” General Secretary of the Union Prince William Ankrah said on Thursday when they presented the petition.

Goldfields Ghana Ltd says its decision to lay off the workers this month is part of measures to change its business model.

According to the company, some of the workers will be re-engaged.

“What we are doing right now in 2017, our mining fleet has changed, and will need to be replaced now looking at the types of mines that we have which is five to six years of active mining,” the company is quoted as saying.

“If we were to pump that money into fleet replacement, we will not actually be able to recoup that money back because we are talking about a huge capital investment here.”

But the over 100 members of the Union told Minority Leader of Parliament Haruna Iddrisu, who interacted with them in Parliament, that the situation will bring untold hardship on them, and the country as a whole.

Their petition was specifically meant for the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament.

Meanwhile, Media General’s Mercydarlyn Lokko reported on 3FM’s Midday News that the workers were stopped from entering the main chamber of the House due to their red outfits.

This forced some members of the Committee to issue a fiat stopping any other group from being allowed to petition the legislative, from hence, if they are in red.