The Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) has served notice of picketing at the Jubilee House on Monday September, 16, to demand that government terminates the mining lease of Future Global Resources.
At a news conference in Accra on September 5, General Secretary of GMWU, Abdul Moomin Gbana said, the union will proceed with series of actions in the coming days to ensure government revokes the mining contract of Future Global Resources.
In April this year, the Union and its members picketed at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to demand the revocation of the mining lease of Future Global Resources.
The Sector Minister, Abu Jinapor gave the Management of Future Global Resources 120 days to invest capital to revive the mine.
As part of the 120 days, Management of the mine was to also earmark funds to pay the outstanding salary arrears of the workers and their benefits.
However, the 120 days have expired, and members of the GMWU have expressed worry that the sector minister and government have failed to revoke the mining lease as demanded.
This has angered the leadership of the Union who have decided to picket the Jubilee House on Monday September 16.
“Beginning Monday, the 16th of September 2024, the Union and all its members across the mining industries in Ghana shall converge in front of the Jubilee House to picket and present a petition to the President of the republic.”
“From the Jubilee House, the Union and its members shall process to the premises of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources where we shall converge throughout the day. On Tuesday, September of 17, 2024, the Union and all its members shall converge at the precincts of Parliament to picket and present our petition to the Speaker of Parliament for the second time, it is interesting to note that the first petition that we presented was just jettisoned by the Speaker of Parliament and by extension Parliament,’ Mr Abdul Moomin Gbana stated.
The General Secretary of GMWU insisted that the Union will not back down on its decision.
” It is a one-week timeline I have given you, there is a potential for further picketing. We are going to use every means possible because private investment must understand that there are rules of engagement, there are laws that they must abide by and they must respect those laws, and for three consecutive times, FGR has been given 120 days’ notice to repair bridges, they have not repaired any bridge’.
“Why do they become an albatross on our necks, why must Ghana condescend this low? It is important that we are forthright, and this puts the credibility of the Minister and the President on the line, this must act and act decisively on this issue,” Mr Gbana said.
