adminWorkers at Tarkwa and Damang mines refused to go underground yesterday bringing one of Africa’s biggest mining concerns to its knees in protest at the recent dismissal of vice president in charge of the Gold Fields Ghana Alfred Baku by the predominantly South African management.
Union officials said yesterday management was arrogant and treated mostly black Ghanian workers like black people were treated during apartheid in South Africa.
The general secretary of the Ghana Mine Workers Union, Prince William Ankrah, told CAJ News workers are unhappy with the “apartheid management style and other related issues that undermine the future of some key Ghanaian management personnel”.
Ankrah added managers were patronised black workers, aloof and underlined their arrogance by living in secluded and opulent areas while the majority of workers lived in poor neighbourhoods.
Workers, he said, were also unhappy with an unequal pay-scale which was lopsided in favour of white managers, who generally earned more than local colleagues doing similar work.
But Gold Fields Limited, the holding company of Gold Fields Ghana, said in a Press release posted on its website the strike was illegal and unprotected.
It stated: “Gold Fields is analysing and investigating the demands as a matter of urgency.
The company also appeals to all employees to maintain law and order while this process is underway, as the safety and security of all employees is of primary importance.”
– CAJ News.
Online Reporter