Comrade Chair, Secretary General of the TUC (Ghana), Distinguished National Executive Council Members, Executives of our Business Wing, Colleagues from the Media Fraternity, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is an honour and a privilege to deal with this august accumulating once more at the instance of the second-half National Executive Council assembly for the 12 months 2025.

On behalf of the Management Committee of our nice Union and by myself behalf, let me take this chance to welcome all Council participants to the Ghana Shippers Council Auditorium, Accra, for the second-half NEC assembly.

Comrades, as we’re all mindful, our assembly right here in Accra for these days and the next day is in fulfilment of the Constitution of the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union. These two days of deliberations would due to this fact focal point on reviewing the actions of the Union for the second one 1/2 of the 12 months 2025 and in addition find the money for us the chance to speak about some problems with asset allocation, nationwide and multinational significance. My deal with would due to this fact contact on plenty of those problems and the way they affect on our paintings as a venture union and society generally.

1. General Industry Update/Outlook

Comrade Chair, in contrast to different sectors which have been hit and are nonetheless suffering to recuperate because the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the multinational gold asset allocation and by means of extension the mining asset allocation generally has stood out as the maximum beneficiary of this multinational well being disaster. Indeed, amidst different geopolitical market signals, gold value has trended upwards from a deadly disease value of over $1800 year-on-year and achieving an exceptional prime of $4000 all through the 12 months.

Indeed, over the duration, the economics of maximum mineral belongings have stepped forward, and common mining branding within the business environment has surged, ensuing within the projected success in gold manufacturing from 4.8 million oz to five.1 million, accompanied by means of the outlet of recent mining corporations similar to Cardinal Namdini, Newmont Ahafo North, and Heath Goldfields Bogoso-Prestea Mine.

Comrade Chair, given the exceptional surge in gold value and the colossal positive aspects maximum mining corporations proceed to make, we predict that mining corporations would take superb care of employees, our participants, whilst they put money into trendy infrastructure and extend present ones, building up manufacturing, and accentuate exploration actions, amongst others. This, we imagine, is a considerable step in opposition to the advent of first rate and sustainable jobs and a strategic entrepreneurship to maintaining the asset allocation in the end.

Comrade Chair, at this level, allow me as soon as once more to isolate Heath Goldfields Ltd, the present supervisor and operator of the Bogoso-Prestea Mine, for particular point out. As chances are you’ll recall, in November 2024, the Government of Ghana issued the Bogoso-Prestea mining rentals to Heath Goldfields Ltd amidst a number of months of agitations/demonstrations by means of the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union and its participants, all over which we referred to as for the termination of mining rentals because of the lack of the previous leaseholder to control or perform the Bogoso-Prestea mines.

After a number of weeks of due diligence by means of the Minerals Commission and advice to the Government, the rentals have been in any case terminated and issued to Heath Goldfields Ltd, topic to plenty of stipulations. Key to the stipulations used to be the agreement of all exceptional indebtedness owed to our participants by means of the former leaseholder.  

Unfortunately, as chances are you’ll all bear in mind, this determination in the end changed into a subject of intense criminal tussle, making it tricky for the restart of the Bogoso-Prestea Mine. Thankfully, after a number of months of criminal tussle, I’m satisfied to verify that  Heath Goldfields Ltd, the present leaseholder and operator of the Bogoso-Prestea Gold Mine, has paid a good portion of the whole indebtedness owed to employees in wages/salaries and with the signed MoU we now have entered with Heath Goldfields Ltd, we’re assured that the rest indebtedness could be settled in response to the agreed timelines.

Comrades, while commending Heath Goldfields for the efforts being made to settle those legacy bills, I’m additionally satisfied to file that Heath Goldfields has reached operational readiness and the Mine is ready to start manufacturing.

Let me due to this fact grab this chance to as soon as once more commend Heath Goldfields for the certain strides they’re making to reposition the Bogoso-Prestea Mine at the trail of success and sustainability.

The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union pledges our fullest reinforce and dedication to proceed to paintings cooperatively and collaboratively with the Management of Heath Goldfields Ltd now not handiest to settle the rest indebtedness however to verify the long-term sustainability of the Mine.

Having effectively gotten the Bogoso-Prestea Mine to operational readiness, we wish to use this chance to name at the Government of Ghana, during the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, the Regulatory Agencies, particularly the Minerals Commission and EPA, to reinforce Heath Goldfields with the entire related allows/licenses that may allow them to start manufacturing and processing of gold.

We additionally name at the chiefs and other people of the communities of Bogoso and Prestea to reinforce the turnaround efforts of the Bogoso-Presta Mines beneath the business leader of Heath Goldfields Ltd.

• Increasing Fragmentation of Production and The Rise of Non-standard Forms of Employment

Comrade Chair, the transformational adjustments going down in Ghana’s mining labour IT, sadly, have ended in a marked shift within the nature of employment clear of common or everlasting employment to non-standard kinds of employment (together with transient paintings, casualization, fixed-term contract paintings).

As of the top of 2024, over 90% of the staff within the mining business environment is lately engaged in non-standard kinds of employment with common employment sitting simply at about 10%.

As a results of this important shift exacerbated by means of the continues fragmentation of manufacturing and outsourcing, and aided by means of coverage reforms by means of the Minerals Commission and by means of extension the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources within the title of native content material/participation, which we discover somewhat retrogressive, employees now have decrease ranges of employment coverage, prime levels of uncertainty and face upper dangers in admire of place of business injuries or accidents. There has been a surge in employees and venture union rights violations, a shrinking collective bargaining protection, task lack of confidence, threatening social coverage quilt, and fluctuations in sector and pensions.

Comrade Chair, the present phenomenon the place sides of the mining organization/jobs are farmed out as a minimum alternative beneath cut-throat contract costs merely at the again of expansion maximisation will have to prevent since this association continues to threaten and undermine the first rate paintings schedule and impoverish our participants. Astonishingly, this continues to occur at a time when the existing gain is tremendous beneficial with gold value hitting the roof, and must have mirrored within the general well-being of the trade. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case!

Comrade Chair, it’s trite wisdom that there are particular sides of the mining organization which might be regarded as ancillary or non-core and will normally be farmed out however by no means the core organization for which a trade is registered to accomplish. Unfortunately, beneath the guise of native content material, those exploitative methods proceed to be pursued with impunity. As a venture union, we take an uncompromising opposition to the present association and due to this fact give a boost to our place that mining corporations will have to be strictly chargeable for the core organization of mining, together with related workers’ price, and due to this fact must now not be allowed to farm out the core organization that they’ve a duty and legal responsibility beneath the legislation to accomplish. 

Whilst we normally disagree with this rising association within the title of native content material, it is very important spotlight the ills perpetrated by means of this association and to name the eye of all actors throughout the mining area, in particular the Government, to take a distinct hobby, as this has severe ramifications for the steadiness of the mining asset allocation going ahead. As a Union, we imagine that it’s not sufficient for the Government to simply intrude within the mining area by means of regulating that positive sides of the mining price chain like mining and haulage, must be left for native entities as a part of native content material throughout the business environment.

In truth, it’s similarly necessary that the Government takes a willing hobby in making sure that the contracts those native entities input with those large-scale cross-border corporations aren’t, exploitative, cut-throat and suffocating since that’s the present scenario at the floor. It is especially necessary for the Government to concentrate on account of the capital-intensive nature of mining and demanding situations related to get entry to to, and the prime price of credit score in Ghana for these kinds of native entities.

The penalties of those cut-throat and suffocating contract charges are dire, as employees welfare in those native entities are relegated to the background and that is manifested within the over the top delays in price of wages/salaries, non-payment of workers’ Provident Fund contributions and terminal gratuities, non-payment of statutory advantages similar to pension contributions (1^st and a pair of^nd tiers), taxes and persistent negotiation of wages/salaries in addition to stipulations of provider for our participants. In truth, the present scenario for many native entities working throughout the mining area could be very terrible, to mention the least, and ought to switch with out any longer lengthen. 

We are due to this fact calling on all cross-border mining corporations engaged on this act and by means of extension the Chamber of Mines, to be aware of this rising fear as this has the prospective to threaten the steadiness of the asset allocation within the not-too-distant long term if not anything pressing and urban is finished about it. We additionally urge the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to take willing hobby by means of intervening with beneficial insurance policies and programmes that would supply some respite to those native entities and by means of extension our participants.

• Maximizing our stake/digital marketing from the mining business environment

Comrade Chair, Ghana’s mining asset allocation has been ruled and regulated by means of international pursuits, with over 99% of mining corporations being international, proudly owning 90% of the stocks, with the Government left with a paltry 10% sporting hobby. Without a doubt, the Government of Ghana has, because the 80s, shied clear of actively taking part within the mining business environment however has as an alternative relied closely at the tax-royalty fiscal regime. As the requires greater Ghanaian participation and maximisation of digital marketing from the mining business environment rage on, some have argued for a metamorphosis within the present type to an entire takeover of the business environment by means of the state, while others argue for a type that complements our digital marketing from mining by means of the renegotiation of present contracts. 

Comrade Chair, sadly, we don’t assume there’s a one-size-fits-all entrepreneurship to this. In truth, given our historical past as a country and the reviews of the state regulate of the gold mines popularly known as the generation of the state gold mining firms (SGMCs) within the 80s, and the demanding situations the business environment were given plagued with, we hang the view {that a} gradualist entrepreneurship versus an intensive and indiscriminate takeover/non-renewal of mining rentals as we witnessed lately with Gold Fields Damang, would be the solution to cross. It is by contrast backdrop that during December 2021, we lauded Government’s business leader to introduce what it termed the “Minerals Income Investment Fund Small Scale Mining Incubation Programme” with an allotted price range of GH₵354 million to lend a hand change into wholly owned Ghanaian Small Scale Mining corporations into mid-tier to large-scale corporations over a duration of 24 months starting 1^st February 2022, with as much as 30% of the allocation earmarked for provision of fairness funding to chose small scale mining corporations.

Unfortunately, not anything considerable took place sooner than the federal government of President Akuffo-Addo left workplace. As a key stakeholder within the mining asset allocation, we need to use this chance to name at the Government to look to the realisation of those lofty plans beneath the Small Scale Mining Incubation Programme. Again, as a venture union with over 8 a long time previous, we don’t assume the tax-royalty fiscal regime has now not served us, despite the fact that it has its downsides. We due to this fact imagine {that a} programme just like the Minerals Income Investment Fund Small Scale Mining Incubation Programme present along a extra enhanced tax-royalty fiscal regime could be a extra awesome coverage selection.

Comrade Chair, while advocating for larger participation by means of native entities working within the mining area, it will have to be underscored that the majority native entities, in particular within the asset allocation, aren’t aware of company governance, CSR, and the well-being of employees as in comparison to their international opposite numbers. This is as a result of, time and time once more, those cross-border companies have now not complied with our rules, they have got confirmed to have proven extra empathy and fear to other people business leader problems. Aside their attentiveness to other people business leader problems, they have got a rather tough machine with well-established constructions/requirements (together with company governance requirements) that they hardly ever compromise and steadily would now not hesitate to topic themselves freely to look overview and compliance with International Standards. Regrettably, native companies shy clear of subjecting themselves to those requirements of fine company governance and for that topic just right company citizenship.

The Union would due to this fact like to name at the Minerals Commission because the regulator for the business environment to compel those native companies identical to their international opposite numbers to institute company governance constructions, be extra responsible and aware of employees’ wellbeing and welfare, and comply strictly with company governance laws and laws, and admire multinational requirements/very best practices, as a way to avert the unlucky however avoidable scenario we witnessed within the monetary business environment the place some administrators have been derelict of their tasks while shareholders meddled in, and circumvented company governance laws that ended in the cave in of plenty of monetary establishments denying blameless depositors their investments, enforcing serious hardship on them and rendering maximum of them destitutes.

• Over 19,000 miners’ Life Savings Locked in Bank of Ghana Regulated Institutions

Comrade Chair, over 19,000 miners have their deposits drawn from our provident finances, welfare finances, go away financial savings, and person finances, together with severance applications locked up in Bank of Ghana regulated establishments who have been suffering from its monetary business environment clean-up in 2018/2019.

As a Union, we’re completely appalled and deeply disillusioned within the Bank of Ghana as a regulator of those distressed monetary establishments and its fiduciary accountability to the voters of this nation to verify efficient administration and regulatory compliance.  Indeed, the Bank of Ghana in a large number of public statements over time, have communicated in no unsure phrases that any one who puts finances with Bank of Ghana regulated establishments does now not have to stick unsleeping within the evening as a result of the ones investments have been protected and that even within the not going match of any loss, Bank of Ghana could be liable.

Comrade Chair, it’s by contrast backdrop that the unsuspecting public, together with over 19,000 miners, positioned our lifestyles financial savings/finances in those monetary establishments regulated by means of the Bank of Ghana. Regrettably, after greater than 4 years on, we’re advised by means of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, that the Bank of Ghana, who’s the regulator of those susceptible/bancrupt establishments, will have to recuperate the belongings of the ones establishments and use any recovered belongings to settle depositors, and that the Ministry of Finance has no cash for that. Interestingly, the Finance Minister made this remark after acknowledging that the monetary business environment would require GHS 10.45 billion to deal with the rest legacy problems and rising dangers within the 2026 price range.

Whilst we be aware the decision by means of the Minister of Finance to the Bank of Ghana to recuperate belongings of those distressed establishments as a way to settle depositors, we discover his feedback very unlucky and don’t assume that the federal government and the Bank of Ghana are truthful to depositors like us. Indeed, we depended on the Bank of Ghana, as a frame created by means of legislation and given the purposes of administration and regulatory compliance, and due to this fact entrusted our lifestyles financial savings into the fingers of those establishments authorized and controlled by means of the Bank of Ghana. We due to this fact be expecting the fiduciary accountability of the BoG to us to be absolutely adhered to, and our monies paid to us with out any longer lengthen.

We, due to this fact take the uncompromising place that the Bank of Ghana will have to absolutely refund our monies to us and recuperate the finances paid to us from the liquidated belongings of its personal regulated entities. Anything wanting absolutely refunding depositors finances could have serious penalties within the coming days.

Comrade Chair, we make this name towards the backdrop of the a large number of assurances from each the previous and present governors of the BoG and IMF Reports OF May 2023 and December 2024 however with none income.

Comrade Chair, as I deliver my speech to our finish, let me as soon as once more congratulate every and everybody people for our continues dedication and loyalty to the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union. This 12 months, like many others, were very difficult however together with your reinforce and God’s divine grace and mercy, we now have survived it as soon as once more. As I’ve at all times maintained, our power as a Union is living in our cohesion and togetherness and I will be able to respectfully urge us all to proceed to focal point our energies and sources in opposition to selling and protecting that always.

Merry Christmas and a filthy rich new 12 months to you and your households and might the yule forward be even higher. May God bless us all and make the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union larger and more potent.

Long Live the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union; Long Live the Trades Union Congress (Ghana) and Long Live our pricey nation Ghana.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by means of Readers and Contributors in this platform don’t essentially constitute the perspectives or coverage of Multimedia Group Limited.