Gold Fields Ghana
condemns demonstration of ex-workers
Accra, Jan. 13, Ghanadot/GNA – Gold Fields Ghana (GFG)
on Tuesday condemned the actions of some ex-workers of
the company who, on December 22 last year staged a
demonstration at the main access way to the Tarkwa Mine
premises, describing it as “unjustified and unlawful
methods calculated to tarnish the good reputation of the
company”.
In a statement e-mailed to the Ghana News Agency in
Accra, it said these persons were employees laid off in
1999 due to fundamental changes in the overall
operations of the mine.
The statement said their claims, including wrongful
dismissal and alleged unpaid accrued interest on their
provident fund were dismissed by the courts.
Giving a background to the incident, GFG said it
acquired the underground operations at Tarkwa from the
erstwhile State Gold Mining Corporation (SGMC) in 1993.
It said although the remaining life of the mine, at the
time of acquisition, was estimated at three years, GFG
ensured its operation for six years.
“By 1999 the underground mine was no longer viable. GFG
therefore suspended underground operations and began
open-pit mining. This fundamental change from
underground to open-pit mining required a scaling down
of the Company’s workforce,” it said.
It said GFG, in close consultations with the Ghana Mine
Workers Union, followed the due legal process of
retrenchment and redundancy prescribed by the Labour Law
and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) then in
force.
It said each affected employee was duly paid his or her
compensation agreed with the Ghana Mine Workers Union
and in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Law
and the CBA.
“Years after receiving their compensation payments, a
section of the retrenched ex-workers raised issues with
the process and payments they had already received.
“The group subsequently initiated a court action against
GFG on some five claims (including their current claim
for payment of interest on Provident Fund
contributions), These claims were each dismissed by the
High Court.”
The statement said having failed in the courts, the
group had now resorted to “unorthodox and illegal means,
including demonstrations and roadblocks attempting to
hold GFG to ransom for the payment of further sums”.
GFG said it was under no obligation to make any payments
to the group, adding that their claims were groundless
and without merit.
It said the company had expressed its willingness to
consider providing assistance to a development project
that the ex-workers group may, by themselves undertake.
GNA
