MINEWORKERS Union at the Future Global Resources (FGR), Prestea Underground Mines formerly known as Golden Star Resources (GSR) in the Western Region have demonstrated against management over ‘the lack of transparency, unfair treatment against them and the lack of investment in the facility’ among others.
Members of the Union as at the time that this report was being filed were seen in the streets chanting war songs and drumming while carrying placards with several inscriptions on them as a way of getting their voices heard and considered by management.
‘Invisible’ Owners
In an interview with Daily Guide, the General Secretary for the Union, Samuel Kumi said one of the key motives for the demonstration was the lack of transparency over who actually owned the facility.
He said as at October 2020, there was a press release that the mine had been sold to FGR.
However, they cannot see officials of the alleged new owners operating the mines.
“Currently as we speak, we don’t see officials of FGR operating the mines. We only hear of Blue Holdings or Blue International Group who writes memos and letters to us. So we want the leadership of the company to come and tell us who actually is the owner of this mine”, he stated.
No Investment
Mr. Kumi also disclosed that the alleged new managers of the company since taking over in October last year have not made any investments in the facility contrary to what workers were promised.
“When the mine was sold, we were told that the new company was going to invest in the mine. However as we speak now, not a single dime has been invested into the facility”, he said, adding that they [the workers union] want to know whether they [the new owners] were actually serious about operating the mine.
“You can’t sell a mine that is said to have the largest concession in the whole of Ghana which stretches about 80 kilometres of resources from Twuapim to Mampong and the new owner not invested a single dollar in it since October.
We want to know what is happening because you can’t operate a mine without investment”, he buttressed.
Severance Package
Mr. Kumi also lamented over the lack of severance package for workers who were affected by the change of ownership of the mines.
Safety
“There are so many other issues that bother on the safety of the mine that we want addressed as soon as possible because we don’t want fatalities and other eventualities happenings at other mines to befall us here.
There are also so many safety infractions that we want leadership to address for us”, Mr. Kumi added.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio