Regularize activities of small-scale miners - Union

The Mineworkers' Union has called on government to expedite efforts at regularizing the activities of small scale miners and expand the frontiers of small scale mining in the country.

It also wants decisive action against all persons engaged in illegal mining to save the environment.

This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Abdul-Moomin Gbana, the General Secretary, and copied to the Ghana News Agency.

These were part of a resolution was passed at the 12th quadrennial delegates conference of the Union.

The Union urged the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations through the National Tripartite Committee to address the challenges associated with non-standard forms of employment for workers in the mining sector.

There should also be full operationalization of the Minerals Development Fund Act 2016 (Act 912) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act 2018 (Act 978).

"We urge government, as a matter of priority, to set up an independent body to supervise and ensure total compliance with the tenets of these development agreements as the continuous neglect is a serious drain on the country and a leeway for multinationals to abuse such agreements with impunity".

The Union encouraged all stakeholders to step up efforts aimed at bringing the full implementation of the African Mining Vision, to actualize development in the country and Africa.

"Government must as a matter of priority check the depletion of the country’s finite mineral resources by taking practical steps to control the volumes to mine at a particular point in time.

"This will ensure that mineral exploitation serves the needs of both current and future generations".

The statement added that the authorities should show commitment to ratifying the ILO Convention 176 on Safety in the Mines Convention and speed up the disbursement of funds to the validated customers of the defunct financial institutions

The Union elected national officers to steer its affairs for a four-year tenure.

They are Mensah Kwarko Gyakari as the National Chairperson; Abdul-Rauf Issahaku, 1st Vice National Chairperson; and Philomena Aba Sampson, as the 2nd Vice National Chairperson.

The rest are Abdul-Moomin Gbana, as the General Secretary; Jerry Kwabena Andoh, the Deputy General Secretary; Felix Lartey, 1st National Trustee and Edward Quainoo, as the 2nd National Trustee.