Officials in a group photograph
The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has hosted the 3rd Executive Council Meeting of the African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth (AFMMW), aimed at adopting action-oriented commitments of Africa’s mine workers.
The 3-day event was themed: “Strengthening Unity and Solidarity Among the African Unions of Mines to Confront the New Global Order and Attempts to Control Natural Resources and Rare Minerals”.
President of the African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth, Comrade Joseph Chewe, stressed the urgent need for unity and solidarity among African mining unions to confront the new global order and attempts to control natural resources and rare minerals.
He noted that Africa stands at the centre of global attention because of its vast mineral resources, including copper, cobalt, lithium and rare earth elements, yet the African worker remains vulnerable, disadvantaged and with the African voice fragmented.
”Without unity, workers lose bargaining power, and without solidarity, resources benefit others more than the African worker and surrounding communities,” he said.
He stressed that the “new global order” is shaped by powerful economic interests seeking access to Africa’s minerals on terms that do not prioritise workers, communities or long-term development.
”Rising global demand has led to pressure for flexible labour models, outsourcing and external control of production systems, which risk undermining job security and weakening unions,” he added.
He called for coordinated action, stronger cooperation, and proactive engagement in shaping mining policies to ensure beneficiation, value addition, industrialisation, and job creation on African soil.
The Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr. Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, in his speech, called for a united front to ensure that Africa’s resources benefit its people, drive development, and cement its position in the global economy.
”Africa’s rich natural resources, from cobalt and lithium to gold and oil, remain crucial for the world’s energy transition and technological advancement, but also expose the continent to exploitation,” he emphasised.
He stated that Africa boasts of over 30% of the world’s critical green minerals, with untapped mineral resources estimated at USD$8.6 trillion.
He urged the formation of alliances, promotion of peace, security and stability, and the need to ensure that Africa’s resources are a blessing and not a curse.
”Strengthen unity and solidarity, regional integration, and investment in processing and manufacturing to capture more value, create jobs and stimulate the economy,” he urged.
In his welcome remarks, General Secretary of the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union, Abdul-Moomin Gbana, said the Federation was established in February 2024 in Cairo, Egypt, to unite African mineworkers, protect their rights, promote occupational health and safety, and strengthen collaboration to ensure Africa’s mineral wealth benefits its people.
The General Secretary of the Socialist Movement of Ghana, Kwesi Pratt, Jnr, for his part, called for unity and solidarity among African mining workers to confront exploitation and external control of the continent’s natural resources.
He condemned historical and ongoing exploitation through colonialism and neo-colonial structures, including casualisation, unsafe working conditions, and profit extraction by multinationals.
He praised AFMMW’s efforts to unite unions, establish a worker-owned investment company, and push for value addition in Africa.
Kwesi Pratt Junior urged member unions to fight casualisation, enforce mine safety, demand domestic processing of minerals, and ensure workers benefit directly from Africa’s resources, asserting: “The wealth is beneath our feet. The power is in our hands.”
The 3rd Executive Council Meeting, had delegates from Trade Unions operating in Africa’s mining sectors in Ghana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Burkina Fasso, Liberia, Mali, Tanzania, and Egypt, among others.
By Janet Odei Amponsah