Nana Kwesi Itu II addressing the media yesterday
SOME IRATE youth in Tarkwa, a mining town in the Western Region, are up in arms against Gold Fields Ghana Limited (Tarkwa Mine), for the company’s alleged attempt to lay off over 2,000 workers.
Gold Fields is currently embarking on an aggressive business option dubbed, “Contract Mining,” hence its decision to lay off some workers.
It has also been alleged that the company had decided to undertake the layoff due to the current lifespan of the mine, which stands at between five and 60 years, and cannot purchase a new fleet because of the short payback period.
The retrenchment is expected to affect most of its miners at the Tarkwa mine.
However, the workers claimed that the reasons for the impending laying off did not hold water and so had called on the government to intervene.
The Ghana Mine Workers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has already spoken against the decision by the management of Gold Fields to retrench the workers.
According to some of the workers, this is the second time in three years that the mining firm has embarked on such a massive retrenchment exercise.
Addressing a press conference in Tarkwa yesterday, the Concerned Youth of Tarkwa claimed that the company has no valid reasons to embark on the retrenchment exercise.
Speaking on behalf of the youth, the Odikro of Tarkwa Bankyim, Nana Kwesi Itu II, mentioned that similar contract mining initiative at the company’s Damang mine some time ago adversely affected the company and also put the workers in quandary.
He noted that the Tarkwa community contributes appreciable percentage of gold to the Ghanaian economy and that the youth would not sit down unconcerned for Tarkwa to become a ghost town.
“If our people would be sacked from the company then all of them would have to leave the area to look for greener pastures elsewhere. But we will not allow this to happen,” he stressed.
He continued, “If contract mining is the only solution to the problem, then those pushing that agenda should also surrender their jobs for contracting.
“Why should they be at post or because it is an opportunity for them to hijack the contracts in the name of their own companies to enable them take in some percentages?
“This is dishonesty at the higher level. All the youth are therefore calling on Gold Fields to maintain owner mining and maintain the workers.”
The Odikro pointed out that the youth would not sit down unconcerned to allow a handful of unscrupulous individuals to manipulate the system for their selfish gains.
He, therefore, called on the chiefs in the area to speak out and defend the workers since they are indigenes and breadwinners for their respective families.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Tarkwa