The Ghana Mine Workers’ Union (GMWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Ghana has called for immediate resolution of the non-standard forms of employment in the county and its implications on workers.
It said the forms of employment including fixed term contract, outsourced employment contracts, temporary and casual work had increased alongside job and income insecurity, declining pensions, abuse of workers’ rights and unfavourable working conditions.
“Since its emergence in our labour market (non-standard forms of employment) has gravely skewed the power in the employment relationship to the detriment of workers with considerable socioeconomic consequences on workers and government.”
“The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations through the National Tripartite Committee must as a matter of urgency, prioritise this growing concern and engage with all stakeholders in order to nib it in the bud without any further delay”, it said.
This was part of resolutions passed at the end of the 12th quadrennial delegates conference of the union held at the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa from Tuesday, December 10 to Friday, December 13, 2019.
The communiqué urged the government and the other stakeholders to approach the development of mining community as likely security threat due to their continuous neglect.
It said they should ensure the full operationalisation and realisation of the Minerals Development Fund Act 2016 (Act 912) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act 2018 (Act 978) without any further delay.
The communiqué urged the African Union to step up efforts aimed at bringing the full implementation of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) to fruition and called on civil society organisations and the media to join forces to push the continent to act on the AMV.
“Government must double its efforts targeted at regularising activities of small scale miners and expanding the frontiers of small scale mining in Ghana whilst dealing ruthlessly with any persons, whether Ghanaian, foreign, or in officialdom associated with or benefiting from the activities of ‘galamsey’” , it said.
According to the union, the government should check the wanton depletion of the country’s finite mineral resources by controlling the volumes to mine at a particular time and ensure that mineral exploitation serves the needs of both current as well as future generations.
The ratification of the International Labour Organisation, Convention 176 (Safety in the Mines Convention), disbursement of funds to the validated customers of the defunct financial institutions and the sorry state of the Labour Department and the Labour Commission were also mentioned as issues the government should pay attention.
The Union as part of the Conference also elected a seven-member national executive body to steer its affairs for four-year tenure with Mr Mensah Kwarko Gyakari as National Chairperson.
BY TIMES REPORTER
