Miners vs. government: Union warns shift to local contractors means lower pay and weaker rights, and they won’t back down.
The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union says it will continue to resist a government policy requiring international mining companies to use local contractors, even after major companies comply. It says there are concerns workers will be paid less and have less job security. The directive, which affects companies such as Newmont, Zijin Mining and AngloGold Ashanti, requires a total transition to local contractors by December 2026 and is designed to increase local content in the sector, union president Abdul Moomin Gbana said. But the union says the policy undermines labour protections, with reports of contractor workers earning much less and facing issues such as not receiving statutory benefits they were entitled to. The group, which represents some 14,000 workers, has threatened strikes and protests, accusing authorities of sidelining labour concerns and warning the move could undo gains made through years of collective bargaining.
Source: Reuters
