Gov’t asked not withdraw security personnel from mines

Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) of Trades Union Congress, has expressed dissatisfaction about government’s unilateral decision to withdraw the military and other state security personnel from the mining concessions of the major mining companies.

A statement issued by the Union on Tuesday and copied to Ghana News Agency in Accra said: “We recall how our Union congratulated the government recently on deciding to provide security for the formal subsector of the industry when it became the target for indiscriminate scramble by illegal miners aided by the Chinese and other Ghanaian collaborators.

“The industry, as the government is in no doubt aware, is heavily challenged with the falling prices of gold and other metals on the international market coupled with other internal hindrances culminating in the threat of (more than) 4,000 mine workers likely to lose their job.”

The statement said the GMWU does not expect government burden to aggravate an already turbulent development in the mining sector, stressing “In all sincerity, we believe that the decision is untimely, unwelcome and eventually would be counter-productive”.

The Union, on behalf of the more than 20,000 employees in the sector therefore asked government to reconsider the policy decision.

“We appeal to the government to allow the status-quo to remain until such a time that the Chinese and other foreign-led ‘galamsey’ menace is eliminated or brought under control because our intelligence indicates that the perpetrators are lurking around to strike again.”

Source: GNA